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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23159665">Family Found</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracoqueen22/pseuds/dracoqueen22'>dracoqueen22</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>All This and Heaven, Too [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Transformers - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, BDSM Scene, BDSM themes, Dom/sub Undertones, Family Reunions, Family Secrets, M/M, Spark Sexual Interfacing (Transformers), Sticky Sexual Interfacing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:35:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23159665</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracoqueen22/pseuds/dracoqueen22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sunstreaker didn’t understand why he felt so drawn to Sideswipe, until a mistake revealed the link between them, provoking a turn of events which will change everything.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sideswipe/Sunstreaker, Starscream/Sunstreaker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>All This and Heaven, Too [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/587968</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>185</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>124</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hm.”<br/>
<br/>
That was never a good sign. Sunstreaker had heard enough from medics over his life span to understand the different non-verbal sounds they made and whether or not they meant good news. This one was new.<br/>
<br/>
It did not bode well.<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker frowned. “What does that sound mean?”<br/>
<br/>
In front of him, Wrench stared harder at his scanner, his lips pressed to a thin line. “Hm means nothing,” he said, and his gaze flicked up to Sunstreaker. “These results, however, are very interesting.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker worked his intake. “Am I getting worse?” he asked, swallowing down the tremor of fear rippling up from his spark, the reminder of his own mortality and how each passing cycle brought him closer and closer to the moment his weak spark extinguished.<br/>
<br/>
“On the contrary. Your spark seems to be strengthening.” Wrench tapped a stylus against the screen. “Which, let me tell you, is scientifically impossible.”<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t understand.”<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah. Neither do I.” Wrench heaved a rattling sigh and yanked out the chair from his desk, dropping into it with a heavy rattle. “Sparks don’t regenerate like this.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker nibbled on his bottom lip. “No one knows why I have a weak spark in the first place or why I survived whatever made it weak.”<br/>
<br/>
“True.” Wrench tapped the datapad against his thigh, bracing his elbow on the arm of the chair. “So I guess it’s less impossible and more improbable. The real question is why and how. Because whatever it is, you need to keep doing it, kid, because it can’t be that overpowered roommate of yours, otherwise we’d be seeing results by now.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker frowned. Wrench had no idea how true that was.<br/>
<br/>
He and Starscream hadn’t spent much time together lately. Not since the incident with Turmoil and the resulting argument. Two weeks? Three weeks? They were starting to blur now as he and Starscream pretended nothing was wrong, while everything wilted around them.<br/>
<br/>
To the outside, everything was fine. No one would think there were any issues.<br/>
<br/>
He and Starscream remained cordial. They shared a berth, they interfaced on occasion, but there was something missing. A chasm Sunstreaker couldn’t cross, like a respectful distance, however subtle. All the progress they’d made since they first met was gone, leaving them co-workers and roommates and friends.<br/>
<br/>
Then again, Sunstreaker supposed that really was all they were. He never asked for anything more.<br/>
<br/>
Never did Starscream.<br/>
<br/>
“I should’ve known you knew about that,” Sunstreaker murmured. He refused to blush, but even his determination couldn’t stop the heat in his cheeks. Starscream and he were the secret that wasn’t, apparently.<br/>
<br/>
Wrench arched an orbital ridge. “Who do you think made the recommendation to pair you two up?” He smirked and tapped his temple, finger going tink-tink against his heavily armored head. “Old Wrench here knows and sees all.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker cycled a ventilation, his processor whirling. He didn’t want to talk about this anymore.<br/>
<br/>
“Whatever,” he said, and pointed to the datapad. “What’s this mean anyway? I’m getting better? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”<br/>
<br/>
“No. When it comes to your spark weakness, there’s no ‘better’.” Wrench cycled a ventilation and met Sunstreaker’s gaze. “Whatever’s doing this seems to be cyclical. It boosts your spark, stronger and longer than a merge with Starscream, but it’s not permanent. Your spark isn’t going to grow. It’s just… holding onto boost for longer.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker furrowed his orbital ridge. “I’m not fixed, I’m just delaying the inevitable.”<br/>
<br/>
“That’s what we’ve always done. Whatever this is does it better.” Wrench scrubbed his forehead and tapped the datapad again. “I have an old friend who works for Iacon Medical. With your permission, I’d like to let him take a look at these results. He’s got more experience in this sort of thing.”<br/>
<br/>
“You trust him?” Sunstreaker asked. He had no intention of becoming a lab experiment. It was one of the reasons he didn’t take his income to a better medical facility. Rich medics looking at him and saying ‘fascinating’ made his armor crawl.<br/>
<br/>
Wrench laughed. “Oh, he’s an arrogant twit, but he’s smart and gifted, and ruthless when he needs to be. If I tell him to hold his glossa on this, he will.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker gnawed on his bottom lip. “That doesn’t answer my question.”<br/>
<br/>
“I know.” Wrench heaved himself out of the chair, joints and hydraulics creaking, betraying his age. “But if I was lying here with my armor going gray and my spark flickering. I’d want him working on me, sure as Primus rests.”<br/>
<br/>
“Fine.” Sunstreaker scrubbed a hand down his face. “So what does that mean? What should I do?”<br/>
<br/>
Wrench set his datapad aside. “Figure out whatever it is that’s stabilizing your spark and keep doing it.” He paused and gave Sunstreaker a queer look. “You haven’t spark-bonded Starscream, have you? Because that would do it.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker scowled. “Wouldn’t your scanner tell you if I had?”<br/>
<br/>
“Normally, yes. But I’ve learned things are different when it comes to you.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker folded his arms, discomfort coiling in his belly. “No.”<br/>
<br/>
“Pity.” Wrench rested a hand on his knee, the weight of it warm and comforting, just like Wrench’s field, which always wrapped around Sunstreaker in a parental embrace. Or at least what he assumed one felt like. “You should just tell him, you know.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker snorted and gave Wrench a sidelong look. “No, I shouldn’t.”<br/>
<br/>
Wrench sighed and leaned on the edge of the berth next to Sunstreaker, pulling one of his hands into Wrench’s lap. “His spark is yours, Sunny. I’m sure of it.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker shuttered his optics and cycled a ventilation. “I’m not afraid he won’t return my feelings. I’m afraid that he will. And then he’ll stay here. Or he’ll offer to carry me.”<br/>
<br/>
“Would that be such a bad thing?”<br/>
<br/>
The worst.<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t want to be a burden to him. Eventually, he’ll resent me for it.”<br/>
<br/>
Wrench squeezed his hand, his field squeezing as well, like a full frame embrace. “I still don’t think you give him enough credit.”<br/>
<br/>
“I’m where I’m supposed to be, Wrench. I don’t have a bad life. Just a short one.” Sunstreaker offered a thin, wan smile.<br/>
<br/>
“Don’t lose hope, Sunny. If things keep on as they are, I think you got more spark in you yet.” Wrench threw an arm over Sunstreaker’s shoulder and pulled him into a half-hug.<br/>
<br/>
Wrench was the only mech Sunstreaker let do this. There was something comforting about the rusty old grouch. He’d been looking after Sunstreaker since he first came here. He’d been the one to help Sunstreaker figure out how to manage his weakened spark. He’d come up with the spark batteries, for lack of a better term, that helped keep Sunstreaker stable. He hadn’t needed them as much, once he and Starscream started sharing a berth and occasionally their sparks. But here lately…<br/>
<br/>
“I’m going to need a few batteries,” Sunstreaker said as he leaned into the embrace. It was the only true comfort he had right now with he and Starscream being so distant. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so alone.<br/>
<br/>
Starscream coming into his life had saved him in more ways than one.<br/>
<br/>
“You and the bird having a tussle?”<br/>
<br/>
“Something like that.”<br/>
<br/>
Wrench slid off the berth, patting Sunstreaker’s thigh as he did so. He started digging through the cabinet. “Wanna talk about it?”<br/>
<br/>
“No.” Sunstreaker double-checked his clamps, making sure his chestplate was locked tight after Wrench’s examination. “It’s probably for the best anyway.”<br/>
<br/>
Wrench grunted as he pulled out a box and withdrew a few cylindrical chargers from it. He held them out to Sunstreaker, expression firm. “Tell him.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker hopped off the berth and closed his fingers around the batteries. “I can’t. I’m not that brave.” They were carefully stowed in an arm compartment for later use. “Thanks, Wrench. I’ll see you next week.”<br/>
<br/>
He didn’t have to see Wrench’s disappointed look to know it followed him out.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~</p>
</div><p><br/>
<br/>
Appointments were always scheduled on his rest days. Often because Sunstreaker had to spend half the morning hooked up to a spark stabilizing machine, to help his spark return to a natural, normal rhythm. Or at least what qualified as one for Sunstreaker at any rate.<br/>
<br/>
With his spark oddly strengthened, however, Sunstreaker had no need for the machine this morning. He was set free earlier than expected. He had nothing in mind for the rest of day, except perhaps for the datanovel he never seemed able to finish. So when his schedule pinged with a request, Sunstreaker peeked at it instead of ignoring it.<br/>
<br/>
Interesting.<br/>
<br/>
Sideswipe wanted a session this afternoon.<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker’s schedule automatically informed potential clients that this was a rest day and therefore, accepting clients was at his discretion. There was no plea or wheedle in Sideswipe’s request. Just a simple offer of an absurd amount of creds and a polite query for the use of Sunstreaker’s time.<br/>
<br/>
Rest days were usually for playing with or snuggling his Seeker. Starscream purposely didn’t book too many clients on Sunstreaker’s rest days so they could spend the time together. But last Sunstreaker checked, Starscream was booked solid all day, and his last client was Blurr. Who, Sunstreaker knew, would go and go and go, until his tanks ran dry.<br/>
<br/>
Thank Primus Blurr paid well for the efforts. Sunstreaker could have never taken Blurr for a client. Aside from the fact Blurr didn’t seem to have any interest in Sunstreaker’s specialties, his spark wouldn’t have endured the Racer’s never-ending drive.<br/>
<br/>
His day was open to him.<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker accepted Sideswipe’s request.<br/>
<br/>
He didn’t feel the least bit exhausted, which was a new sensation for him, to be honest. Was it because of Rodimus? Could the rookie’s constant presence in their life have something to do with it? He did share their berth frequently. Was Sunstreaker somehow drawing on his spark by mere proximity? Was there something special and unique about his spark as well?<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker pulled out a datapad and jotted down the hypothesis. He would think about it for the remainder of the week, and the next time he met with Wrench, he’d present his guesses to the medic and see if any of them were valid. He tried not to let hope gain a foothold.<br/>
<br/>
Wrench was right. He couldn’t be cured. There was no point in wishing for the impossible.<br/>
<br/>
A future with his Seeker. A future where he wasn’t a burden.<br/>
<br/>
Sideswipe pinged back. With it, he’d included a list of potential scenarios for Sunstreaker to include in the session.<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker’s orbital ridges rose even as he chuckled. Sideswipe must be getting more comfortable with him, to start being more honest about what he wanted. Sunstreaker was more than willing to give the humiliation he craved, though it was rare that a submissive client wanted the submission without the sexual aspect.<br/>
<br/>
Oh, Sunstreaker had directed Sideswipe to self-service on several occasions, and Sideswipe had overloaded without touch more than once, but that was the extent of it so far. They’d kissed. Sunstreaker had fondled him a bit, especially when calling him all sorts of uncomplimentary names, but Sideswipe seemed uninterested in actual copulation.<br/>
<br/>
It wasn’t a problem, merely a curiosity.<br/>
<br/>
Well. Sunstreaker’s feet were in need of a good polish. How kind of Sideswipe to volunteer.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~</p>
</div><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
Sideswipe was late. But then, he was always late. He seemed categorically incapable of arriving on time.<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker didn’t mind because Sideswipe still paid for the full session. Plus, it gave him time to mentally prepare, to arrange the furniture in the room for the session, to put together a plan of action further than what he’d already decided.<br/>
<br/>
He moved the plush single chair to the center of the room, shoving the low center table aside. He wanted the center of the floor to be as clear as possible, except of course, for the single chair. He wanted that to be Sideswipe’s sole focus since Sunstreaker would be sitting in it.<br/>
<br/>
The door chimed and opened on its own with Sunstreaker turning to face it, a queer sense of anticipation and hunger dancing in his spark. He was never this excited to greet clients. Usually. But there was something about Sideswipe that always made him feel lighter as soon as Sideswipe came into view.<br/>
<br/>
“Wait out here. Seriously,” Sideswipe was saying as he slipped into the room, directing his order to a mech outside of it. Perhaps a new guard who was unfamiliar with his employer’s proclivities. “Look, if Sunstreaker wanted to kill me, he’s had ample opportunity, and I don’t want a voyeur today. Shoo!”<br/>
<br/>
He darted inside and closed the door. He muttered something Sunstreaker didn’t catch before he turned around with a big smile that made Sunstreaker’s spark unexpectedly throb.<br/>
<br/>
“Sunny!” he greeted with his arms thrown wide, clearly expecting an embrace. The nickname failed to produce the usual surge of anger Sunstreaker normally had to swallow.<br/>
<br/>
“Sideswipe.” Amusement filled Sunstreaker’s voice. He allowed the embrace and the kiss Sideswipe pressed to the corner of his mouth. “Welcome.”<br/>
<br/>
“Thanks for taking me today,” the merchant said as he drew back, bobbing on his heelstruts. He was impeccably clean and shined, as always, even more so than Sunstreaker’s strident requirements demanded. He appreciated the effort.<br/>
<br/>
“I know it was your day off.”<br/>
<br/>
Given the huge increase in fees Sideswipe was paying, Sunstreaker should be the grateful one. But to each his own.<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker inclined his head. “Anything for my favorite client.”<br/>
<br/>
“Am I really your favorite or do you tell all your clients that?” Sideswipe asked, giving him a sidelong look.<br/>
<br/>
“You’re my favorite,” Sunstreaker replied without thinking, and was surprised to find it was true.<br/>
<br/>
There was something he greatly enjoyed about Sideswipe’s sessions. They’d gone from biweekly visits, to once a week, to twice. Today would make three times this week, if Sideswipe kept to his usual pattern and returned two days hence.<br/>
<br/>
Sideswipe grinned. “That’s good to know.” He clapped his hands together and looked around. “So you got my list, right? Did you decide which one you wanted today?”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker draped himself on the plush chair and leaned back, thighs parting, arms resting along the chair. “I have.” He pointed to the ground in front of him. Sideswipe needed no verbal commands.<br/>
<br/>
His glossa swept over his lips. His optics darkened in hue. He lowered himself slowly, that grin still on his lips, and shuffled forward in an awkward knee walk until he knelt in front of Sunstreaker, hands on his thighs. His head dipped deferentially, but he looked up at Sunstreaker with optics that for a shade of hue, would have matched Sunstreaker’s own perfectly.<br/>
<br/>
He really was a handsome mech.<br/>
<br/>
“And what did you pick?” Sideswipe asked, his vocals turning husky.<br/>
<br/>
“You’ll see.” Sunstreaker braced an elbow on the arm of the chair and rested his cheek against his knuckles. “What is your safe word for today, Sideswipe?”<br/>
<br/>
“Topaz.” Sideswipe’s hands scrubbed down his thigh armor. “Sir.”<br/>
<br/>
Oh, but he submitted so beautifully.<br/>
<br/>
Sideswipe gave himself to it fully. His plating relaxed, allowing Sunstreaker a full view of his gleaming cables and substructure. His shoulders sank down, his optics spooled into full attention, often glazing over when he slipped into subspace. He obeyed, except when he felt the need to be punished, and it helped that he was beautiful.<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker always did have a weakness for the pretty ones.<br/>
<br/>
“Good pet,” Sunstreaker murmured, and offered Sideswipe a small, proud smile. “For now,” he added. “But we both know what a disobedient little worm you are, don’t we?”<br/>
<br/>
Sideswipe’s field flickered hot, a lick against the edge of Sunstreaker’s own. “I’ll try to be better,” he said, voice crackling, and his hands kneading his thighs. “This time.”<br/>
<br/>
Sunstreaker’s lip curled, more derision than approval this time. “I don’t expect you’ll manage it, but you’re welcome to try.” He braced his elbows on the arm of the chair and laced his fingers together. He slid one foot forward. “Go on. I’m waiting to be disappointed.”<br/>
<br/>
Lust surged into the room, so thick and heady, and Sunstreaker’s field nearly drowned in it. He’d never been with anyone who dove so hungrily into their role. Sideswipe had the capacity to be intoxicating.<br/>
<br/>
He’d have to keep his wits about him.<br/>
<br/>
Fortunately, Sunstreaker had plenty of practice.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Drift and Rodimus wrestling together, laughing as they tried to pin one another to the ground -- Drift succeeding more often than not -- had to be one of the most adorable things Starscream had ever seen. Adorable and arousing.<br/><br/>It was a shame, really, that they didn't seem interested in 'facing each other anymore. Starscream would have paid good creds to see it, and he was quite sure the clients of Blue Sun would feel the same way.<br/><br/>Rodimus laughed as Drift pinned him again, this time on his belly, his aft cradled against Drift's groin, his head turned at the last minute to keep from smashing his nasal structure.<br/><br/>"This isn't fair!" Rodimus declared, close to a whine, his arm pinned behind his back, pressed against his spoiler hinges. "You have more experience than me."<br/><br/>"This is why we practice, Roddy," Drift said, with seemingly infinite patience and a wolfish grin on his lips. "And you are obviously not practicing."<br/><br/>Rodimus' lower lip jutted out in a pout, which would never cease to be alluring. "I'm kind of busy, you know. I have a job to do."<br/><br/>Drift chuckled and sat back on his heels, releasing Rodimus' arm as he did so. "We all work. You're just lazy." He swatted Rodimus on the aft and stood, backing away before Rodimus could get in a retaliatory swipe.<br/><br/>Hmm. Now there was a thought.<br/><br/>Bending Rodimus over his lap, binding his hands behind his back, spanking that aft until it was hot and tender. Rodimus squirmed so prettily, too. He'd pause to dip his fingers into Rodimus' valve -- he'd be dripping for sure. He'd finger him for a bit, just to make him writhe, and when Rodimus thought he'd get to overload, Starscream would swat him again.<br/><br/>Yes.<br/><br/>Perhaps he should give that a try.<br/><br/>"What're you thinking about?"<br/><br/>A hot frame abruptly dropped into Starscream's lap, straddling him and bouncing him out of his musings. Hands draped over his shoulders, a face nuzzling his.<br/><br/>"You," Starscream admitted as he found Rodimus' hips and gave them a squeeze. "Aren't you supposed to be training?"<br/><br/>Rodimus' face contorted into a pout. He draped over Starscream with playful exhaustion. "I'm tired," he declared and tried to tuck his face into Starscream's intake.<br/><br/>Drift snorted as he dropped down beside Starscream, more of a sprawl than a sit, and folded his arms behind his back. "You just want to be spoiled."<br/><br/>"That, too," Rodimus said.<br/><br/>Starscream chuckled. "That does not surprise me." He patted Rodimus on the aft. "But as much as I'd love to cuddle you all day, I do have a client." He gripped Rodimus and tipped him over, dumping him into Drift's lap. "Here. A present."<br/><br/>Drift yelped as Rodimus tumbled over him, and the two tangled together. Rodimus struggled to right himself and hands kept going in unfortunate places. They didn’t frag, but they weren’t above groping each other.<br/><br/>Starscream grinned and stood up, well out of reach of the two flailing speedsters. He was glad they were starting to recover from the pains of their past.<br/><br/>Rodimus needed a friend, and it seemed like Drift did, too.<br/><br/>Untangling turned to scrapping turned to wrestling, and both Drift and Rodimus laughed as they started rolling around on the floor again, speedster engines revving. Primus, Starscream needed to get out of here before the adorable infected him.<br/><br/>"Rodimus, you have a shift later. Make sure you're cleaned up for it," Starscream tossed over his shoulder as he paused in the doorway of the small training room.<br/><br/>"I remember." Rodimus rolled his optics, and then devolved into laughter as Drift's fingers sank into his seams and started to tickle him.<br/><br/>Pah. Sparklings.<br/><br/>Starscream slipped out of the room, amusement curling his lips. He headed straight for the private bathing rooms, the ones reserved for use by clients who wanted a pampering experience. He would be meeting Nightshade there for their session in a few kliks, but he wanted to make sure the room was prepared first.<br/><br/>He didn't worry about leaving Rodimus with Drift. They'd been working on their relationship for the past several weeks, and though Rodimus hadn't entirely forgiven Drift, they were making progress. It helped that Drift didn't push, asked permission for everything, and was helpfully contrite. Starscream got the feeling Rodimus had missed Drift as well.<br/><br/>At least they were moving forward.<br/><br/>It was a sharp difference from what settled between Starscream and Sunstreaker. It wasn't anger, but there was a definite tension. It simmered, like a bubbling pot, and neither of them wanted to address it. They were roommates, they were friends, they were cordial, they cuddled, they interfaced, but they didn't talk.<br/><br/>Starscream keyed himself into the Magnolia Suite, the scent of perfumed oil tickling his nasal structure. Thankfully, Nightshade's tastes ran more subtle than others, or he'd have to close his vents to a cloying perfume. He checked the available supplies, making sure he had enough cloths, for scrubbing and drying, along with a set of polishing oils. All was well.<br/><br/>At least someone was doing their job properly.<br/><br/>Satisfied, Starscream slid down into the heated oil bath to wait for Nightshade, and groaned as he was eclipsed by the perfect temperature. The escorts had baths of their own, but they were mainly communal and not nearly this comfortable. This was a luxury, and he was getting paid for it.<br/><br/>Nightshade was the best.<br/><br/>The door opened. Starscream grinned as Nightshade stepped inside, a tired slump to his shoulders, but his smile brightening once he caught sight of Starscream.<br/><br/>"Evening lovely," he murmured. The door clicked shut behind him. "You didn't start without me, did you?"<br/><br/>"Of course not." Starscream twisted his wrists, wings twitching. "Join me, will you?" He reached over, snagged the basket of supplies, and tugged it closer.<br/><br/>"Gladly." Nightshade stepped down into the oil baths, choosing to sit on one of the many perches built into the pool.<br/><br/>Starscream waded across to join him, dipping a mesh cloth into the oil and gliding it across Nightshade's upper back. With him seated, they were nearly of a height.<br/><br/>A low thrum of pleasure echoed in Nightshade's field. His plating visibly relaxed, allowing Starscream to tend to the tense cables beneath.<br/><br/>"So," Starscream began. "How was your day?"<br/><br/>Nightshade chuckled. "Officially? Quite busy. You have no idea how much paperwork is involved in investment banking."<br/><br/>"And I don't want to know. It sounds boring." Starscream grinned as he swiped the cloth over Nightshade's frame, as much cleaning him as he was relaxing him. "Unofficially?"<br/><br/>"Oh, now you know I can't tell you that," Nightshade drawled. "Even if you are aware of my... shall we say... illicit activities."<br/><br/>"Fair enough." Starscream slid down, scrubbing at Nightshade's lower back. He hummed, low in his intake. He didn't think he had a pleasant voice, but Nightshade seemed to enjoy the lower tones of it.<br/><br/>"And you?" Nightshade asked.<br/><br/>Starscream chuckled. "Well, I watched Rodimus and Drift train for most of the morning. Rodimus is insistent on learning better self-defense, and I admit, it couldn't hurt for me to pick up a few things as well."<br/><br/>"I can agree with that." Nightshade's tone softened, his field briefly touching upon Starscream's. "You do have a habit of putting yourself in danger."<br/><br/>"So I've been told."<br/><br/>Nightshade set a hand on Starscream’s knee, giving it a pat beneath the warm oil. “There are those who care for you, Starscream. Please don’t forget that.”<br/><br/>Why was it that Nightshade’s suggested caution irked him less than Sunstreaker’s? Perhaps because it hadn’t come with an edge of condescension.<br/><br/>“I promise,” Starscream said. He swept the cloth over Nightshade’s rotors, though careful to keep his touch firm and efficient rather than soft and arousing.<br/><br/>Nightshade made a noncommittal noise. His back armor twitched. “Starscream, might I ask you something?” He almost sounded hesitant.<br/><br/>“Of course.”<br/><br/>Nightshade cycled an audible ventilation. “With the caveat being that if you aren’t comfortable answering me truthfully, you say as much. I don’t want a lie to spare my feelings.”<br/><br/>Hm. That was a little odd. But Starscream liked Nightshade, and probably trusted him at this point. Nightshade had earned a little leeway.<br/><br/>“… All right.”<br/><br/>Nightshade’s hand rested on his knee, giving it a quick squeeze. “Are you happy here?”<br/><br/>It was not a question Starscream had ever been asked by a customer. He chose his words carefully. They were true, but still, carefully chosen. "Well, it's not precisely where I wanted to be, but I'm not unhappy."<br/><br/>Nightshade hummed. "Let me rephrase: Do you enjoy working here?"<br/><br/>Starscream cycled a ventilation and steadied himself, stopping midscrub to rest his hands on Nightshade's hips. "For my schooling, for what I owe, there are worse jobs. I don't enjoy being in debt, but this is the quickest way to pay it back, and I do enjoy it, to a certain extent." He paused before continuing, "It's like any other job, I suppose. There are good days and bad days. Why do you ask?"<br/><br/>Nightshade didn't immediately respond. Instead, he stood, turning away from Starscream to face him. He sat back down and reached for Starscream's hands, taking them gently in his own.<br/><br/>"I have something I want to ask you," he said, his tone warm but serious, his thumbs sweeping over the back of Starscream's hands. He looked into Starscream's optics, sincerity gleaming in his optics. "You don't have to answer immediately, and whatever you answer, I would hope that it's honest."<br/><br/>Starscream's spark fluttered. He worked his intake. "I don't know if I should be flattered or frightened."<br/><br/>"More of the former, I should think." Nightshade squeezed his hand. "I would like to hire your services for myself. And I don't mean what we have now. I mean in a private employment."<br/><br/>Starscream's vents caught. His optics widened.<br/><br/>"You'd be a free mech," Nightshade rushed to clarify. "You'd have your own apartment, your own place of employment, your own life. But when you are free, if I could come to you, that is what I would like."<br/><br/>Starscream's mouth opened and closed. He felt at once exhilarated and numbed. He'd heard of escorts being offered these kinds of proposals before, but never thought anyone would do so for him. And certainly not Nightshade.<br/><br/>"You'd be well-compensated," Nightshade continued. "Enough to cover your average earnings here and then some. And if... if you wanted to take other clients as well, I wouldn't stop you, I'd only insist that I be given priority should there be a conflict of scheduling."<br/><br/>It was... it was more than fair. It was obscenely generous. It was something Starscream had always wished for.<br/><br/>He could leave Blue Sun. He could pick and choose on his own terms. He could study whenever he wanted without having to worry about work-shifts.<br/><br/>But.<br/><br/>He'd have to leave. Without Sunstreaker. He'd have to say goodbye. Starscream wasn't ready for that. He thought he had a couple years at least.<br/><br/>"I know it's a big decision to make. I'm not asking you to make it right now. It's merely something to consider."<br/><br/>Starscream rebooted his vocalizer. "It's stupidly generous," he said with a shake of his head. "Why would you spend that many credits when you can keep things as they are?"<br/><br/>Nightshade slid a palm around Starscream's face, as gentle as a true lover might be. "Because I've grown fond of you, as much as someone like me can grow fond of anyone. Removing Turmoil opened my optics to the way things are and while I can't save everyone, I can help you."<br/><br/>"I don't need saving." Starscream slipped free of Nightshade's hands, even though he knew he shouldn't, and crossed his arms. "I'm here of my own free will."<br/><br/>"I know that." Nightshade smiled, soft though it was. "I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I just meant that someone as brilliant as you shouldn't be held back by a debt you should have never incurred. You should have been free to study." He paused and lowered his voice. "There are many things on this planet that are unjust and your circumstances are only one of them."<br/><br/>He spoke it quietly, like a whisper, as though he was afraid of someone in greater power hearing him, and throwing him into a dungeon for such things.<br/><br/>Starscream gnawed on his bottom lip. "I don't know if I like the idea of being at the beck and call of a single person. Even if it is you."<br/><br/>"That I can understand. I'm fully willing to discuss particulars and terms. I'm only asking you think about it."<br/><br/>Starscream ducked his head. His wings drifted down. It was a good offer. It was a fantastic offer. It was all he could have hoped for and more. Once upon a time, he would have leapt upon the offer without looking back.<br/><br/>"You hesitate because of Sunstreaker, do you not?"<br/><br/>Starscream's head snapped up, surprise written across his face. He was unwilling to lie, but unwilling to reveal the truth either. It was unseemly to be so open with a client. But then, Nightshade had never been a typical client.<br/><br/>"You love him," Nightshade murmured, optics bright with understanding. "Don't you?"<br/><br/>Starscream worked his intake. The silence made his spark ache. His shoulders drew tight together, armor clamping. He couldn't admit that aloud. He hadn't admitted it to anyone. He barely admitted it to himself.<br/><br/>Nightshade rose, the oil swirling around him at mid-thigh. He approached Starscream, resting his hands on Starscream's shoulders.<br/><br/>"It's all right. You need not answer me now,” he murmured, and his kindness, his patience, would forever surprise Starsscream. “I don't want to own you, Starscream. That is not my intention." He pressed a hand to the top edge of Starscream's nearest wing, not to arouse but to comfort. "I merely want to see you fly."<br/><br/>"Your offer is most generous," Starscream said, a thickness in his intake he couldn't seem to work away. "Any mech would be lucky to accept it. I..."<br/><br/>"Shh. It's all right." Nightshade cupped his face and pressed a kiss to Starscream's forehead. "Just think about it, Starscream. I don't need an answer right away."<br/><br/>He stepped back, wading toward the series of small steps that would make it easier for him to climb out.<br/><br/>Starscream's forehead crinkled. "Your time isn't up yet," he said, dumbly. His processor kept spinning on empty.<br/><br/>Nightshade dripped outside of the oil bath, his rotors flicking to shake off the excess moisture. "I've said what I come to say. You enjoy the rest of the reservation. I chose it for you, after all."<br/><br/>He left.<br/><br/>Starscream didn't have to check his account to know Nightshade had paid for the full session plus a tip that was always more than generous. He had the oilbath to himself for the better part of a half hour. He might as well enjoy it.<br/><br/>His processor, however, had other ideas. It churned on Nightshade's offer, vacillating between an eager acceptance and a reluctant refusal. He soaked, and he scrubbed, and he dried off, and he polished himself to a glossy sheen which would make Sunstreaker proud.<br/><br/>He didn't have an answer for Nightshade still.<br/><br/>Why did he make this so difficult for himself? Nightshade was one of his best clients, and Starscream actually liked him beyond their professional relationship. He was a good mech, and there weren't many left in the world. Other employees at Blue Sun would kill for the kind of offer Starscream had been given.<br/><br/>Hadn’t he always intended to leave? Blue Sun was not his future. It never was. He’d only meant it to be temporary, a stop-over, a means to an end. His feelings for Sunstreaker aside, he’d always planned to leave Blue Sun behind him.<br/><br/>He expected to have more time. He thought, by the time he’d sent off the last payment, he’d have a new plan. He’d know what to do, or he’d be ready to say goodbye.<br/><br/>He wasn't.<br/><br/>Maybe it was a moot point. Maybe it didn't matter. Given the circumstances right now, maybe whatever he and Sunstreaker had was less than Starscream thought. Maybe leaving with Nightshade was the best solution for everyone.<br/><br/>Rodimus would be fine, right? He had Drift now, and Sunstreaker would still look out for him. Turmoil had been arrested, Blue Sun was safer, Streamline was being very, very cautious in his business dealings, and more Enforcers were becoming patrons.<br/><br/>Starscream could leave.<br/><br/>If he wanted to.<br/><br/>It was the last bit which kept tripping him up.<br/><br/>Starscream left the oilbaths and returned to his quarters. He could probably stand to take an extra shift on the sales floor, but he wasn't in a customer service state of mind. He didn't know if he could entice anyone in his current state. He didn't know if he wanted to.<br/><br/>The logical thing to do, he knew, would be to talk to Sunstreaker. See what Sunstreaker thought about the offer, see if there was anything in his roommate's optics that suggested he would ask Starscream to stay. With Nightshade's assured patronage, Starscream could afford Sunstreaker's medical bills as long as he was frugal.<br/><br/>Could he convince Sunstreaker to come with him? Would Sunstreaker even want to?<br/><br/>He came back to an empty suite.<br/><br/>Starscream swallowed his disappointment. Sunstreaker had been very busy as of late, something both rare and unusual. His weak spark usually meant he had more rest days than everyone else, and couldn't take as many clients. Granted, he was in high demand and never lacked for a booking.<br/><br/>He'd been booked every day this week. That, in itself, was unusual. But on top of that, he hadn't been using the spark batteries to strengthen himself either. They were still fully charged in their storage dock. Starscream should know. He charged them himself.<br/><br/>Was that a sign of his health improving? What did it mean? Starscream wished he knew.<br/><br/>He checked the posted schedule, accessible only to members of Blue Sun. Sunstreaker's was usually private on account of his status, but Starscream was one of the few to have access.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker was indeed with a client.<br/><br/>Sideswipe.<br/><br/>Again.<br/><br/>Starscream frowned and sat in the bay window, peering out into the dark streets, a sky hinting of acid rain boiling in the distance.<br/><br/>Sideswipe had engaged Sunstreaker's services every day this week. He was like a mech obsessed. And a rich one, at that, given he could afford Sunstreaker's not at all cheap fees.<br/><br/>Starscream's frown deepened. He didn't like the implications of this at all.<br/><br/>Maybe Nightshade had the right idea.<br/><br/></p><p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sunstreaker came home to a dark suite, a bit unusual given the early hour, but perhaps Starscream had a long shift. Or perhaps he wasn't home at all and had been hired for the evening.<br/><br/>He checked the posted schedule, and frowned. Starscream hadn't worked a shift on the floor, and his last client had been Nightshade, hours ago. Nightshade wasn't one to tire him out. Starscream liked Nightshade.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker clicked on the small desk lamp, sending a pale light through the room. There was a lump on the window seat, half-hidden behind a drape of blanket, and now that he was listening closely, he heard the soft snuffles of Starscream's vents.<br/><br/>He sighed. Of course Stascream had fallen asleep in the window. He was going to wake with a kink in his neck if he didn't shift to a berth, then he'd be irate in the morning.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker reached out with his field, gently touching the resting state of Starscream's. He didn't feel distressed or ill. That was reassuring. His ailerons fluttered in his recharge, impossibly adorable. Sleep tended to smooth out the worry in Starscream's face, making him appear younger.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker piddled around for a moment, rearranging some things, picking up a few pieces of clutter Starscream had left lying around. He was tired, but not the encompassing fatigue he was used to. It was unusual. It was worrisome.<br/><br/>Perhaps Wrench's friend would have an answer.<br/><br/>Starscream didn't stir, despite his tidying. Sunstreaker sighed again and stepped lightly toward Starscream. He took a moment to debate before he slipped his arms around Starscream's frame, lifting him up from the seat. Starscream stirred as he did so, optical shutters fluttering.<br/><br/>"Sunny?"<br/><br/>"You fell asleep in the window again," Sunstreaker pointed out as he moved Starscream to his berth, only absently noting that it caused him little strain to do so.<br/><br/>"Did I?" Starscream sounded sleepy, and Sunstreaker nuzzled him before he could stop himself.<br/><br/>Starscream purred and curled a hand around his head, palm stroking the side of Sunstreaker's intake. "You're back late."<br/><br/>"I'm back on time. You knocked out early," Sunstreaker corrected with a little chuckle. He took Starscream to his berth since it was closer, lowering his Seeker onto it. "Long day?"<br/><br/>"Mm." Starscream snuggled down into the covers, but before Sunstreaker could pull back, snagged his wrist. "Come 'ere. Missed you."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker's spark squeezed, flush with warmth. He climbed into the berth and immediately found himself with a blanket of snuggly Seeker. "Sideswipe is a demanding client."<br/><br/>"I noticed." There was a chill in Starscream's voice, but at least it wasn't aimed at Sunstreaker. "He pays good at least."<br/><br/>"Yeah." Sunstreaker tilted his head against Starscream's and stroked his hands down the Seeker's back, gently petting his wings. "He wants another session tomorrow."<br/><br/>Starscream tensed against him. "Again? You haven't taken a day off though. Why don't you refuse him?"<br/><br/>Sunstreaker cycled a ventilation. "I find it difficult to do so." It wasn't that he couldn't, it was that he didn't want to. Sideswipe looked up at him, imploring, and Sunstreaker's will crumbled. He wanted to give Sideswipe whatever he wanted, and it felt good to do so.<br/><br/>He didn't tell Starscream any of that. He wasn't sure how his Seeker would take it.<br/><br/>"He's not forcing you, is he?" Starscream pushed himself up, concern flashing in his optics.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker shook his head and cupped Starscream by the back of his neck, urging him back down into repose. "No. He's a good client. I enjoy our sessions."<br/><br/>Starscream resisted. "I enjoy Nightshade and Blurr and Bluestreak, too, but I don't give them all of my client slots." His jaw set. "Have you had any other clients lately?"<br/><br/>Sunstreaker opened his mouth, only to close it again, his forehead crinkling in consideration. Now that he thought about it. "No," he admitted. "But I haven't needed to. With Sideswipe's patronage, I've earned more than enough."<br/><br/>"Then you can take a fragging day off," Starscream snapped. He squirmed, as if trying to escape from Sunstreaker's hold, and Sunstreaker let him.<br/><br/>Starscream scrambled to put space between them, armor vibrating, his optics a hot flash. "Are you that angry at me you're putting in this petty distance?"<br/><br/>"Now you're just imagining things," Sunstreaker said, rolling his optics. "I'm embracing an opportunity. Sideswipe pays a lot. I enjoy our sessions. It has nothing to do with you."<br/><br/>Starscream glared at him for a long moment before he clambered over Sunstreaker and crawled out of the berth.<br/><br/>"Starscream," Sunstreaker sighed and rubbed his face.<br/><br/>The Seeker stormed across the room and threw himself into his own berth. It was a reaction that seemed over the top for a little disagreement, but there was an unsettled edge to Starscream's field. Something else was bothering him.<br/><br/>"I'm going to recharge," Starscream declared, twisting until his back was to Sunstreaker with all the affront of an offended turbokit.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker scrubbed both hands down his face. "It's one more session," he said, into the dim silence. "And then I'll take a rest day or two." He paused, nibbled on his bottom lip. "An overnight session granted but--"<br/><br/>"Overnight?" Starscream hissed, and if it had been any longer, it would have been a shriek. "You don't do overnights. They aren't an option in your contracts!"<br/><br/>"Yes, but Sideswipe asked--"<br/><br/>"And you said yes," Starscream finished for him, and there was something dark, something hurt in his voice. He lurched out of the tangle of berthsheets and his optics were narrow, crimson slits.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker sat up as well, anger beginning to stir in his spark. He felt he were being accused of something that he didn't deserve. "Sideswipe is a client, Starscream." He stressed the term.<br/><br/>"And I'm just your fragging roommate." Starscream shoved to his feet, stomping away from his berth. "Thank you for making that perfectly clear."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker swung his legs over the side of the berth, intending to slip down from it. "That's not at all what I said."<br/><br/>"You didn't have to," Starscream spat. He jabbed the code into the lock and the door flung open as if heeding the swirl of agitation in his field. He stormed out before Sunstreaker could say anything else.<br/><br/>He didn't give chase.<br/><br/>It wasn't the first time they'd argued. It seemed like all they were doing as of late was arguing. Usually about petty things. Usually about nothing.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker flopped back into the berth, shuttering his optics. His denta ground together, his spark swirling a mess of confusion. He had no idea what was going on in Starscream's head lately, and since they weren't talking, he wasn't getting answers either. As best he could figure, Starscream was angry with him and pushing him away.<br/><br/>It was so damn frustrating.<br/><br/>His comm pinged.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker answered without looking at the sender. "What?"<br/><br/>"Wanna tell me why I have a sulking jet in my berth?" Rodimus. Where else would Starscream go but to his favorite, snuggly project?<br/><br/>Sunstreaker sighed and slid fully onto the berth. If Starscream was with Rodimus, he wasn't coming back to the room tonight.<br/><br/>"Why don't you ask him?"<br/><br/>"Yeah. Tried that. He's not talking." Rodimus sounded somehow both fond and exasperated. "You two are driving me crazy, you know that. Have you ever considered actually talking to each other."<br/><br/>"No. The thought never crossed my mind," Sunstreaker growled, irritated.<br/><br/>Rodimus sent a blat of static through the comm. "I'm too tired to be deal with your slag tonight. Both of you. I had Blurr earlier because Starscream couldn't be found. I just don't have the energy right now."<br/><br/>"Consider it a compliment that Blurr accepted you as an alternative."<br/><br/>"My aching bits would suggest otherwise."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker barked a laugh before he could stop himself. He had to admit, the little brat was growing on him. Without the shadow of Turmoil hanging over his head, Rodimus was a lot more lively. Had a bit of a mouth on him, and Sunstreaker considered that maybe Starscream's assessment was accurate. There was more Dom in Rodimus than anyone thought.<br/><br/>"You can't tell me the pay wasn't worth it."<br/><br/>"Oh, it was worth it," Rodimus said with a snort. "But I still need my rest. And maybe some ice for my spike."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker grinned despite himself.<br/><br/>"In the meantime, I've got a Seeker draped over me who hasn't stopped whining since he stormed into my room, waking both of my roommates."<br/><br/>Just like that, the levity was gone. "It's complicated," Sunstreaker sighed.<br/><br/>"Then uncomplicate it," Rodimus bit out. "It's not funny anymore."<br/><br/>Click.<br/><br/>What was wrong with the universe when someone like Rodimus saw fit to talk to Sunstreaker like that? And without an ounce of fear. Was Sunstreaker losing his touch?<br/><br/>He sighed and slung an arm over his optics.<br/><br/>Or maybe he was losing his mind.<br/><br/></p><p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~</p>
</div><p><br/><br/>Starscream did not come back in the morning. Or the afternoon. Or before Sunstreaker was set to meet Sideswipe for their overnight session. If Sunstreaker had any hopes of talking to Starscream, they were quickly dashed.<br/><br/>Maybe it was for the best.<br/><br/></p><p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~</p>
</div><p><br/><br/>"Tell him."<br/><br/>Starscream ignored Rodimus for the third time that morning, focusing instead on helping Rodimus get cleaned up and detailed from his excursion with Blurr the day before. True to form, Blurr had left Rodimus covered in streaks of blue paint. He could be quite enthusiastic.<br/><br/>Starscream would have to apologize for not being available. Though to be fair, Blurr hadn't scheduled a session. It must have been a spontaneous decision when he couldn't reach one of his numerous lovers.<br/><br/>Starscream had never met anyone with as high of an interface drive as Blurr. And yet, Blurr had intimated other Racers were worse. It must have been a high-performance engine trait.<br/><br/>Rodimus' engine revved. "Stop ignoring me," he growled. "If you're going to come into my berth in the middle of the night, I at least deserve the courtesy of a conversation."<br/><br/>"Then next time I'll find elsewhere to recharge," Starscream replied.<br/><br/>Rodimus abruptly twisted away from him, leaving a streak of filler on his lower back. He whipped around to glare at Starscream. "Don't try to manipulate me like that," he snapped. "You're welcome to crash with me anytime you want, but that doesn't mean I'm going to sit here and watch you be a coward."<br/><br/>Starscream pressed his lips together. He looked down, busying himself with dipping the brush in the paint to keep it damp. "I need to fix your paint," he said.<br/><br/>"Frag my paint!" Rodimus jabbed him in the shoulder. "What the frag is the matter with you two? Seriously. I've never seen two mechs more in love in my entire functioning, and I've never seen two mechs pretend they have no idea about it."<br/><br/>"That is none of your business," Starscream bit out, optics narrowed.<br/><br/>"You've made it my business," Rodimus retorted, rolling his optics. "I don't get either of you. Why don't you just tell him? It's obvious how much he loves you. Why don't you just admit it and be together and be stupidly in love like we all know you want to be."<br/><br/>"Because it doesn't work like that." Starscream snapped the cap on the paint and rose from the bench, agitation making his wings flick. "It's not that simple. Not with the kind of life we lead."<br/><br/>Rodimus threw his hands in the air. "That doesn't make any sense. If you want it, just go for it! You already know how it works. It's not like you're trying to get with a norm."<br/><br/>"You don't understand," Starscream retorted. He grabbed a mesh cloth dampened with solvent and started wiping at his hands. His shaking hands, he noticed. Damn it.<br/><br/>"Why?"<br/><br/>"Because he won't leave!" Starscream snapped, and his spark surged with an aching hurt. His ventilations roared. He threw the cloth on the ground. "He won't leave, not for me. And I won't stay."<br/><br/>Rodimus frowned. "You don't know that."<br/><br/>"Yes, I do."<br/><br/>"Have you even asked him?"<br/><br/>"What's the point?" He bent over, swept the cloth from the ground, exhausted in the wake of Rodimus' pressure. "It's not going to make a difference."<br/><br/>Rodimus closed the distance between them, putting his hands over Starscream's. "You know I just want you to be happy, right?" he said, voice impossibly gentle. "Sunstreaker loves you. And you already know you love him. Why does it have to be more complicated than that?"<br/><br/>"Because it does." Starscream eased his hand free of Rodimus' and cupped the younger mech by the back of his head. He leaned up, pressing a kiss to Rodimus' forehead. "Thank you for trying. But stop. Please."<br/><br/>Indecision flickered fast and sharp in Rodimus' field. "Fine," he said with an audible, gusty sigh. "Will you finish fixing my paint then?"<br/><br/>"Of course." Starscream patted him on the cheek and turned around, scooping up the filler supplies. "Sit back down. Change the subject."<br/><br/>Rodimus muttered something Starscream didn't catch and dropped down into the bench with all the grace of a sulking Dweller. "Okay," he said. "Then help me find Drift a lover."<br/><br/>Starscream blinked. "Not what I expected," he began. He popped the lid of the filler and swirled the brush around. "But go on."<br/><br/>Rodimus leaned forward, hands braced on the bench to give Starscream better access to his lower back. "That ship has sailed for us, but you know, I still want him to be happy. And I can tell he's lonely right now. He put a lot of his focus into bringing Turmoil down, and now he's just kind of... drifting. Heh."<br/><br/>Idiot. Adorable. But still an idiot.<br/><br/>"And you think having a lover will fix that?"<br/><br/>"Well, it couldn't hurt," Rodimus said with a twitch of his spoiler.<br/><br/>Starscream rolled his optics. "He doesn't need the complications of a romantic entanglement. He needs a new direction for his life. He needs to figure out what he wants from life first. Did you ask him what he wanted?"<br/><br/>"Of course I did. I know how to have a conversation, unlike some people I know."<br/><br/>Starscream pinched his hinges in retaliation at the aside.<br/><br/>Rodimus hissed. "That's rude." He vented and leaned back forward. "Anyway, he says he didn't know. He's never really thought about it."<br/><br/>"Hmm." Starscream finished the mark on Rodimus' back -- including the extra smear he'd made -- and tapped Rodimus on the shoulder to get him to turn. "He should think about it then."<br/><br/>"Duh." Rodimus spun to face him, grinning. "But if we could help him and if you have any ideas..." He wiggled his optical ridges. "It's just a thought."<br/><br/>Starscream tweaked his nose and Rodimus batted his hand away. "Why are you making that sound dirty? I thought you weren't interested in his berth anymore?"<br/><br/>"I'm not." He tipped his head up at Starscream's direction, so Starscream could attend to the bite marks on his intake. Blurr had a thing about intakes. "But that doesn't mean I haven't noticed how pretty he is now." He paused and smirked. "Deadlock wasn't as pretty. He was just pointy."<br/><br/>Starscream chuckled. "Yes, he's quite pretty now." He leaned back, critiquing his work. It wasn't as good as Sunstreaker's, but it would work. "Thank you, by the way, for assisting Blurr. I'm sorry I wasn't available."<br/><br/>Rodimus shrugged. "I like Blurr. He's fun. He said he's going to engage me again." He grinned and winked. "I'm just that irresistible." He watched Starscream put away the touch-up kit. "Why were you busy anyway? You didn't have a client. I checked."<br/><br/>Starscream went silent for a moment while he debated whether or not he'd tell Rodimus about Nightshade's offer.<br/><br/>"Star?"<br/><br/>He cycled a ventilation. "I needed to think," he said. "I... had an unexpected conversation with Nightshade."<br/><br/>"About?"<br/><br/>Starscream worked his jaw and then grabbed Rodimus, pulling the mech into his arms with an audible squeak from Rodimus. "He made me an offer."<br/><br/>"Wait." Rodimus went still, but didn't try to break free of the hug. "Not that kind of offer, right? The kind any one of us in here would jump on in a moment's notice?"<br/><br/>"Yes. That kind."<br/><br/>"Wow."<br/><br/>"Something like that." Starscream sighed again, indecision swirling and twirling inside of him. "The offer is more than generous, and allows for more freedom than I have even working here. But..."<br/><br/>"You'd have to leave Sunstreaker and you don't want to do that," Rodimus finished for him.<br/><br/>Was he that transparent? Both Nightshade and Rodimus could pinpoint his reservations at a glance. He needed to shield his emotions better.<br/><br/>"Yeah, okay, I see why you needed to think. What are you going to tell him?" Rodimus asked.<br/><br/>Starscream offlined his optics and rested his forehead on Rodimus' shoulder. "I don't know."<br/><br/>He honestly didn't know.<br/><br/></p><p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="entry-content">
  <p>It's too easy with Sideswipe.</p>
  <p>And maybe that was where the trouble started.</p>
  <p>They'd been in scene from the moment Sideswipe stepped through the door. It was what he'd wanted. The scenario, the safe word, the limits -- all had been decided beforehand. A simple nod of reassurance informed Sunstreaker they were still set for the predetermined session.</p>
  <p>They fell into their roles with perilous ease. Sideswipe dropped into a submissive mindset between one blink and the next. Sunstreaker followed suit, his training and instincts responding to a willing and eager submissive.</p>
  <p>There wasn't anything special or unusual about this session. It was roleplaying, which was the standard fare for Sideswipe's desire for humiliation. He, being the formerly wealthy noble, now sold into slavery to cover his family's bankruptcy. Sunstreaker, the mech of dark deals, with his recently acquired slave who wasn't worth the coin he'd spent.</p>
  <p>Sideswipe currently knelt in the middle of the room, hands hanging at his sides, knees slightly apart. A puddle formed on the ground floor him, his array open and both units bared to Sunstreaker's scrutiny.</p>
  <p>They'd been found as wanting as Sideswipe's appearance. Sunstreaker had told him so, repeatedly, and the flush of lust in Sideswipe's field had never abated. It was intoxicating. Dizzying. Sunstreaker swore he could taste it.</p>
  <p>He circled Sideswipe, predator stalking prey, as he debated what path to take next. Sunstreaker already had an inkling of an idea, and the more he considered it, the more he wanted to follow through. Sideswipe would safeword if he was uncomfortable. But this wasn't on his list of hard stops.</p>
  <p>"Please," Sideswipe begged, his vocalizer crackling, barely showing the shame he was supposed to feel. "Please, sir. Find something in me to be of worth."</p>
  <p>"I don't think that's possible." Sunstreaker sneered and circled to Sideswipe's front. He crouched in front of him, gripping his chin, turning his face to the left and right. "I thought nobility had the finest in frame designers, but you're as ugly as they come. Or maybe that's the stench of wealth around you."</p>
  <p>Sideswipe's vents wheezed. A tremble ran through his frame. "I'll do anything," he whispered.</p>
  <p>"Oh, I already know you will. The question is whether or not that 'anything' is worth my time or energy." Sunstreaker cocked his head and let his hand drift down, palm over Sideswipe's chestplate. "Tell me, little noble. Have you ever bared your spark to anyone? Is it as worthless as the rest of you?"</p>
  <p>Sideswipe's optics spiraled wide as if he were afraid, but his field pulsed so much lust, Sunstreaker had to cycle a ventilation to keep his concentration. "No, sir," Sideswipe whimpered, and would have turned his head away, if not for Sunstreaker's grip on his chin.</p>
  <p>"Ahh, so in this you are unspoiled. How lucky of me." Sunstreaker stroked a finger down Sideswipe's central seam. "Show me."</p>
  <p>Sideswipe shook his head. "No, I -- I can't," he said, his voice approaching a sob. "I'm not supposed to-- It's special-- I can't--"</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker grabbed him by the intake, squeezing just enough to feel the bob of Sideswipe's swallow. "There's nothing special about you anymore. You're just a toy for my amusement, and when I give you a command, I expect you to obey. Show me."</p>
  <p>Sideswipe whimpered, which would have been believable if not for the tide of lust that swarmed Sunstreaker's field, pulsing a volcanic heat. "Please," he begged, voice weak and crackling.</p>
  <p>"Now," Sunstreaker demanded, his own vents sharp and eager.</p>
  <p>Sideswipe's optics fluttered. He whined, but obeyed, his central seam parting as if begrudgingly, the bright light of his spark peering through.</p>
  <p>And bright it was.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker stared, captivated, at the brilliance caught his optics. It was a shimmering blue, surging within the confines of his chamber, little arcs of aroused static leaping from the core. Sunstreaker hadn't seen many sparks in his lifetime, but he knew there was something different about Sideswipe's, something that reminded him of Starscream's. Not the same, but definitely a similarity, as if Sideswipe suffered from the same condition that fed the overabundance of energy in Starscream's spark.</p>
  <p>"S-sir?" Sideswipe crackled. "Does it please you?"</p>
  <p>"It's hideous," Sunstreaker lied, and it almost hurt him to do so, because that was far from the truth. He stroked the edges of Sideswipe's open chassis, fingers tingling where nips of charge arced out to touch them. "But it'll do."</p>
  <p>He cocked his head and eyed Sideswipe. "Tell me, little noble, have you ever watched a facevid? Ever seen what pleasure can be had from the embrace of a spark?" He caught Sideswipe's gaze, asking without words.</p>
  <p>His fingers dared sweep briefly inward, brushing the outermost corona of Sideswipe's spark. Sideswipe shuddered, pleasure playing across his face.</p>
  <p>He didn't safeword. He didn't call for a pause.</p>
  <p>"I... I..." Sideswipe stammered, his expression one of refusal, but his frame leaning further toward Sunstreaker's, urging his fingers deeper.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker's calves ached. He slid to his knees, both hands sweeping the edges of Sideswipe's chestplate now, his attention drawn by the brightness of his spark. "It can be intoxicating," he purred. "Consuming. It can leave a mark on you, one you can never lose."</p>
  <p>Sideswipe's intake bobbed. His hands clawed at the tops of his thighs. "Sir, I don't--"</p>
  <p>"I didn't ask you what you wanted. It's not about what you want. It's about what you're going to give me." Sunstreaker tipped his head, slipped a hand into Sideswipe's chassis, straight to the second layer of his spark. "And what I'm going to take."</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker's chestplates juttered. His spark leaned forward, into the strong glow emanating from Sideswipe's chest, the surge of energy crackling along his fingertips. Sideswipe's spark pulsed at him, cycling faster.</p>
  <p>They were close now. Dangerously close.</p>
  <p>"After me, you'll be ruined," Sunstreaker murmured, and it was intimate rather than offending. He felt dizzy and distracted. He lost track of the game.</p>
  <p>Sideswipe sucked a sharp vent through his intake. His hands scraped furrows in the tops of his thighs. his field burst, crackling with need, and a tendril of charge wrapped around Sunstreaker's fingers.</p>
  <p>"I'm going to claim you as mine," Sunstreaker said, his processor spinning. Somehow, his other hand found its way to Sideswipe's side, gripping, pulling him closer. "You're... you're going to be mine."</p>
  <p>Sideswipe whimpered.</p>
  <p>Light spilled between them, fainter, but equal in hue. Pleasure crackled through Sunstreaker's lines, and he gasped, a jolt running through his frame.</p>
  <p>No. You didn't merge with clients. That wasn't done.</p>
  <p>"Please," Sideswipe moaned, and hands grasped Sunstreaker on the hips, fingers digging in tightly to his seams, charge nipping at his hand.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker's spark pulsed and surged. He leaned forward, dizzy and lost. The outer edges of their sparks collided, and Sunstreaker jerked. There was something there, something like familiarity and hunger, and like a magnet, he couldn't retreat, he could only sink further.</p>
  <p>Sideswipe groaned, a pained, desperate sound. His fingers dug in. He yanked, and their chests collided, naked spark pressed to naked spark, first, second, and tertiary layers falling by the wayside until their cores made contact.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker jerked and shattered, fracturing into a thousand different pieces, his awareness sinking inward before exploding in all directions. Dimly, he heard Sideswipe gasp, felt the grind of metal on metal as their chests scraped together. Engines roared, their foreheads pressed together, optics shuttering.</p>
  <p>It was unlike anything he'd ever felt. He'd merged with Starscream before, shallow merges, to the primary and secondary layers only. Those had been merges of pleasure, of joy, of sharing energy.</p>
  <p>This felt nothing like this. It felt like being broken apart and brought back together, two puzzle pieces slotting into place. It wasn't pleasure, it was too present, too immediate for that. It didn't feel good, not in the sense of an overload, but it felt right. Like he'd finally found something he'd been missing for a long time.</p>
  <p>His spark surged, dancing and spinning in place, feeling as though it were drawn out of his frame, suspended in a liminal space between himself and Sideswipe. Judging by the rise and fall in Sideswipe's field, just outside Sunstreaker's perception, he felt something similar.</p>
  <p>There was a moment, a long moment where Sunstreaker stood on the edge of a precipice, and then he tipped over, his spark expanding in a wide burst of joy.</p>
  <p>What spilled over him wasn't an overload, but it was satisfying nonetheless. It left him simultaneously energized and exhausted, as his spark reluctantly returned, disengaging with the coiled tendrils of Sideswipe's spark slowly. Uncomfortably.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker gasped as he returned to his frame, his processor spinning, his chestplate sliding shut of its own accord. He wobbled on his knees, exhaustion pouring through him like one of his spark-induced blackouts.</p>
  <p>"Wh-what was that?" Sideswipe croaked, sounding as exhausted as Sunstreaker felt.</p>
  <p>"I don't know." Sunstreaker sagged, slumping forward, pawing at Sideswipe with weak fingers. He shook, plating clattering, and as much as he felt.. better. Whole. He was also hurting, aching, in a way no words could describe.</p>
  <p>He didn't feel right.</p>
  <p>Sideswipe stood and dragged Sunstreaker with him, his knees visibly wobbling. They staggered, supporting each other, crashing down on the berth in a tangle of limbs Sunstreaker was too tired to uncoil.</p>
  <p>"Recharge," Sunstreaker mumbled.</p>
  <p>"Yeah," Sideswipe agreed.</p>
  <p>Darkness claimed them.</p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="center">
    <p>~</p>
  </div>
  <p>The steady ping of a session alarm urged Sunstreaker out of recharge. He woke slowly, his thoughts coming through a fog, and sat up on the berth, or at least, he tried to. There was another frame wrapped around his own. Crimson made him think Starscream, but the arm was far too bulky. As was the leg thrown over his.</p>
  <p>Not Starscream. Sideswipe.</p>
  <p>The night before rushed back to his active memory queue.</p>
  <p>Primus. He'd never fragged up that badly before.</p>
  <p>Embarrassment heated Sunstreaker's cheeks, spiked in his field. Beside him, Sideswipe stirred, rubbing his face on Sunstreaker's shoulder before his optics blinked open sleepily.</p>
  <p>"Sunstreaker?"</p>
  <p>"I'm sorry," he blurted out as he eased free of Sideswipe's arms, and Sideswipe abruptly scrambled back, doing the same. "Last night went too far. I lost control. We should not have spark merged. That is entirely on me."</p>
  <p>Sideswipe shook his head, rubbing sleep from the corner of his optics. "I think I'm to blame, too. I don't know what that was... but I couldn't stop it. I didn't want to." His forehead drew down with thought, but no anger. "I apologize, too."</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker slipped off the berth. He needed distance from Sideswipe, lest he give in to the urge to press himself to Sideswipe once more. "I think, for a week or so, it's best if I don't accept one of your sessions."</p>
  <p>"Yeah, I think so, too." Sideswipe scrubbed a hand over his head and eased off the berth on the other side. "I've merged before, not that deeply of course, but it's never felt like that. I don't know. Maybe it was the scene? Maybe it's because I've probably spent too much time here." He paused, cracking a half smile. "At least, according to my investors."</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker folded his arms over his chassis. His spark was quiet, comfortable in his casing. It didn't seem ready to leap out, but now, he didn't trust it. He didn't trust himself.</p>
  <p>"Maybe," he hedged. "I'm not a medic, so I can't guess." He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'll refund some of your fee--"</p>
  <p>Sideswipe held up a hand. "No, that's not necessary. You're still the best dom I've ever had, and like I said, I think it's my fault, too." He scrubbed the back of his head and smiled. "So we'll just... forget it happened, take some distance, and try again later. Start small."</p>
  <p>"You're very generous." Sunstreaker dipped his head in a bow that would have made Streamline happy. "Thank you for your forgiveness."</p>
  <p>Sideswipe made a face. "You don't have to do that either. I'm paying you for your time, yeah, but you're not my servant or anything. You know you can tell me to frag off, right?"</p>
  <p>"I know now." Sunstreaker managed a thin smile and checked his chronometer. "You still have about an hour, would you like me to--"</p>
  <p>"No. It's fine. I'll take it from here." Sideswipe smiled to take the edge off his brusque tone. "I don't trust myself touching you right now."</p>
  <p>Neither did Sunstreaker, but he didn't want to say it. "Understood." He paused, looked around the chamber as if evidence of their rule-breaking was painted around the marble.</p>
  <p>It wasn't.</p>
  <p>"I will be here," Sunstreaker said as he backed toward the door. "If you are ever comfortable to see me again."</p>
  <p>"I will," Sideswipe said, and his smile was more genuine this time, soft and encouraging. "I promise."</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker tipped his head and excused himself.</p>
  <p>He went straight for the shared washracks. It was early enough they were empty, and Sunstreaker scrubbed himself clean, taking note of the paint streaks in his armor, places where they'd curled together in their recharge.</p>
  <p>On his chestplate as well, where he and Sideswipe had scraped together during their almost desperate merge. Sunstreaker went cold at the sight of them, and touched them up in the washrack before he dared go back to his suite.</p>
  <p>He felt... odd. That was the closest word he could find to describe it. His usual weakness was gone, but in its place was a lingering arousal, a damp heat curling in his groin. His spark felt settled, eager even, and a part of him longed to merge with Sideswipe again, in case it meant he could indulge in this sensation over and over again.</p>
  <p>He thought about Sideswipe, but only briefly, before his thoughts turned to Starscream. He hadn't held his Seeker in so long. And he owed Starscream an apology. Things between them were tense, and Sunstreaker hated it.</p>
  <p>He hated sleeping without Starscream two nights ago, and he hated that he'd had no control over himself last night. That he'd given to Sideswipe what he'd never meant to give to anyone, and if it was going to be anyone, it would have been Starscream.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker swung by the supply room first, ordering a large tray of all Starscream's favorite treats to be delivered as soon as possible. He also selected a decanter of one of their finest engexes, and a box of the best polishing kit they had in stock. He charged it all to his personal account -- flush as of late thanks to Sideswipe.</p>
  <p>Only then did he return to the hab he shared with Starscream. Disappointingly, it was empty. As this was Starscream's rest day also, that was a bit unusual. Sunstreaker hoped it meant he was out with Drift or Rodimus or perhaps getting detailed by one of the staff. He prayed it didn't mean Starscream was avoiding him still.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker waited, tidying the room as he did so, refusing to think about what had happened between himself and Sideswipe. He changed the berth covers, cleaned up the desks, picked up the random bits of items from the floor, fluffed the pillows on the window seat, and restocked their various supplies.</p>
  <p>The engex and candies arrived before Starscream did.</p>
  <p>A bit disappointed, Sunstreaker arranged the suite in anticipation of Starscream’s return. He set out both gifts where Starscream could see them immediately, and then he settled into the windowseat with a datanovel. He didn’t manage more than a few pages, too busy sneaking glances at the door, and resisting the urge to track Starscream down.</p>
  <p>The door opened, an hour later, and only self-control kept Sunstreaker from leaping out of the windowseat with relief.</p>
  <p>Starscream poked his head inside, spying Sunstreaker in the seat. He appeared to deliberate for a moment before he slipped into the room, letting the door shut behind him.</p>
  <p>“Welcome back,” Sunstreaker said, careful to keep his tone neutral. He made a show of marking his place in the datanovel he wasn’t actually reading and set it aside.</p>
  <p>Starscream flicked a look at him, but didn’t respond. Still sulking then. Good to know.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker sighed and slid off the windowseat as Starscream approached his berth, almost immediately spying the gifts Sunstreaker left for him. He flipped open the box of treats, tracing them with his optics, and lifted the bottle of engex, peering at the label as though it held the secrets of the universe.</p>
  <p>"What's this?” he asked as he set the engex down and rifled through the treat box. “A bribe?"</p>
  <p>"An apology,” Sunstreaker corrected.</p>
  <p>"Same difference." Starscream popped one into his mouth, humming a little as he ate it. "You're lucky these are my favorite," he said with a sidelong look. "How was your overnight?"</p>
  <p>"I missed you," Sunstreaker answered honestly. He approached Starscream carefully, waiting for his Seeker to refuse him. "Clients are one thing. You're something entirely different."</p>
  <p>"Your roommate," Starscream said, and slipped another treat into his mouth. He didn't look at Sunstreaker, but his frame language seemed receptive enough.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker nibbled on his bottom lip. "Not just," he murmured and embraced his Seeker from behind, pressing a kiss to a wing edge. "Best friend would be better."</p>
  <p>"Is that all?" Starscream played at disinterest, but his field was warm and malleable where it pressed to Sunstreaker's. "And when do you see Sideswipe next?"</p>
  <p>"Not for a week at least. Possibly more." Sunstreaker mouthed the wing edge, dragging his lips and glossa along it, Starscream shivering in his arms. "I want to spend time with you instead."</p>
  <p>Starscream leaned back into the embrace, though he didn't immediately return it. “I'm not sure you've earned the pleasure of my company."</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker's hand slid down from Starscream's belly to his groin, fingers rubbing soft circles over his interface array panel. "I could try," he murmured.</p>
  <p>The panel opened for him, and Sunstreaker's engine purred as his fingers found the ring in Starscream's anterior node and gave it a small tug. Starscream sucked in an intake, his fingers fluttering over Sunstreaker's chestplate.</p>
  <p>Starscream grabbed another treat before he spun in Sunstreaker's arms, his slowly pressurizing spike bumping against Sunstreaker's lower belly. "Convince me," he said, his optics bright and eager. "Maybe I'll forgive you."</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker kissed him, his hands on his Seeker's hips, drawing their frames close. He tasted sweetness on Starscream's lips, traced Starscream's denta with his glossa, and stroked his field over Starscream's frame.</p>
  <p>Primus but he'd missed this.</p>
  <p>Starscream hummed into the kiss, returning it with equal fervor. Sunstreaker tasted him, again and again, deepening the kiss until Starscream sagged against him, engine purring Sunstreaker's favorite pitch.</p>
  <p>Only then did he drop the kiss and also sink to his knees, nuzzling Starscream's groin with blatant interest. He curved his hands around the back of Starscream's thighs, encouraging him to drape one leg over Sunstreaker's shoulder.</p>
  <p>Starscream shivered, one hand landing on Sunstreaker's head. "This is a good start," he said.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker wrapped his lips around Starscream's spike and gave it a good, long suck, his glossa dancing over the tip. A breathy sigh met his audials, and Sunstreaker sucked him down again and again, laving attention over the length of it, occasionally pausing to swipe the tip of his glossa over Starscream's pierced caudal node.</p>
  <p>Starscream's knees wobbled. Both hands clutched at Sunstreaker's head. His vents came in sharper bursts. "Even better," he panted.</p>
  <p>He came off Starscream's spike with a loud slurp and nuzzled lower, laving briefly over Starscream's node before ducking his head to get at Starscream's valve. Starscream had to dip a little, thighs parting wider, for Sunstreaker to reach, until he curved over Sunstreaker, thighs tangibly quivering.</p>
  <p>"S-Sunny, I'm going to fall," Starscream gasped, his hips bucking against Sunstreaker's mouth, his anterior node pulsing a throb of want against Sunstreaker's lips.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker gave him another long, savoring lick before he looked up, entranced by the heat glowing Starscream’s cheeks. “I’ll catch you,” he promised, and cradled Starscream’s hips, hands cupping that barely-there aft.</p>
  <p>Starscream looked down at him, his optics warm with desire and approval. “Since when are you so robust?”</p>
  <p>“It’s something new,” Sunstreaker said. He pressed a kiss to Starscream’s anterior node and rose, hands cupping Starscream’s aft as he did so. He squeezed and lifted, and Starscream moaned as he wrapped his legs around Starscream’s waist. “Berth?”</p>
  <p>Hands draped over his shoulders as Starscream nuzzled into his intake, lips coasting a searing path over his cables. “Yes, definitely,” he breathed.</p>
  <p>“Good.” Sunstreaker shifted his grip, ensuring he had a good one, and lifted Starscream toward the nearest berth, which happened to be his own.</p>
  <p>Once upon a time, he might have tossed Starscream playfully onto the berth. Not this time. Instead, he lay Starscream upon it, gently, his lips painting a careful path from Starscream’s chin, down his intake, across his chestplate, over his central seam, and across the planes of his belly.</p>
  <p>Starscream squirmed beneath him, his vents coming hotter and faster, his hands petting everything within reach. “Please, Sunny,” he begged.</p>
  <p>“Soon,” Sunstreaker promised. He cupped Starscream’s thighs, pushed them up and back, and closed his mouth around the tip of Starscream’s spike again.</p>
  <p>He licked away pearls of prefluid and swallowed around Starscream, loving the taste of him, the sensation of Starscream on his glossa, the way Starscream writhed beneath him, his field clinging to Sunstreaker’s with sticky tendrils. This. This was what he wanted. What he truly needed.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker lapped at Starscream’s valve, paying special attention to his swollen nodes, to the slick dribbling freely from him. He tasted hot and sweet, and he kept making these urgent noises which shot straight to Sunstreaker’s array.</p>
  <p>His panel popped, spike emerging in a slick glide. Sunstreaker stroked Starscream’s thighs and straightened, bracing his arms to either side of Starscream’s frame as he notched against Starscream’s valve. He rolled his hips once, twice, the head of his spike painting itself in Starscream’s slick.</p>
  <p>Long legs wrapped around his waist, urging him forward. Starscream’s hands slid over his chassis, talons plucking lines of charge against his seams.</p>
  <p>“Frag me,” Starscream demanded, his vocals breathy, his optics bright with hunger, his field enveloping Sunstreaker.</p>
  <p>He had to kiss him again.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker did, mouth falling over Starscream’s, glossa plunging inside to claim him. He rocked his hips, grinding against Starscream until the Seeker canted his hips and Sunstreaker slid into him in one smooth push.</p>
  <p>Pleasure rippled through him on a wave of crackling heat. His spark danced in his chamber, not with the urge to connect as it had with Sideswipe, but out of sheer joy.</p>
  <p>Starscream moaned, rising to meet him, talons digging into his seams, sighing into the kiss. He was warm and pliant, eager beneath Sunstreaker, and he couldn’t imagine anything better, anyone he cared for more.</p>
  <p>Whatever had happened with Sideswipe didn’t matter.</p>
  <p>Starscream was the one he wanted.</p>
  <p>Starscream was the <em>only</em> one he wanted.</p>
  <p></p>
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    <p>***</p>
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  <p> </p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Starscream ached.<br/><br/>It was the good kind of ache, but coupled with it was exhaustion. He felt strung out and wrung dry. He’d lost count of the number of overloads Sunstreaker got from him yesterday, and for a moment, he thought he’d gotten caught in a fever dream and confused Blurr for Sunstreaker. His Sunstreaker never had this much energy or stamina.<br/><br/>What had gotten into him?<br/><br/>He wanted to question it as much as he didn’t want to. He had to admit, all of the focus, the care, was intoxicating. He’d forgotten he was supposed to be angry. He’d forgotten he had no right to be angry in the first place.<br/><br/>It was like their argument had never happened.<br/><br/>The next day was like a dream. They woke, shared energon, shared a lingering bath, and had another slow interfacing session in a private bath Sunstreaker reserved for them. He’d been more than attentive; he’d been desperate for it. He’d wrung three overloads out of Starscream before succumbing to his own.<br/><br/>They went back to their habsuite, and Sunstreaker kissed him again, his hands wandering until Starscream tackled him to a berth, panting as he rode Sunstreaker to completion.<br/><br/>Afterward, Sunstreaker spent the next hour repainting him, carefully stripping his current paint, redoing it, and adding an expensive polish.<br/><br/>Starscream enjoyed the attention. But it worried him as well.<br/><br/>“Are you all right?” Starscream asked as they lay together, Sunstreaker reading a data-novel and absently stroking Starscream’s wings as Starscream sprawled on top of him, lightly dozing.<br/><br/>“Hm?” Sunstreaker’s hand stilled on the back of his wing. “Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”<br/><br/>Starscream lifted his head, folding his arms under his chest so that he could see Sunstreaker’s face. “Haven’t you noticed?”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker set aside the datapad. “You’ll have to be more specific.” He was being cagey, and Starscream didn’t like it.<br/><br/>“Not that I’m complaining, but we’ve interfaced more in the past couple days then we do in a few weeks,” Starscream pointed out. He sat up, a frown curving his lips. “You’re not usually this energetic.”<br/><br/>“Maybe I’m getting better.”<br/><br/>Starscream narrowed his optics. “I don’t think it works like that.”<br/><br/>“You’re not a spark specialist, how would you know?” Sunstreaker visibly tensed. He sat up, dislodging Starscream from his lap in the process. “It’s a good thing. Why should we question it?”<br/><br/>“What if it’s a sign you’re about to get worse?” Starscream pushed, worry curdling the sweet engex in his tanks. The idea of losing Sunstreaker, he wasn’t ready for that. He thought he had more time.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker swung his legs over the side of the berth, his armor clamped. “Then I guess I’m lucky I get to spend whatever time I have left with my best friend.”<br/><br/>Starscream set his jaw. “That’s not funny.”<br/><br/>“It wasn’t supposed to be.”<br/><br/>“Will you at least go see Wrench and ask?” Starscream scooted closer, resting a hand on Sunstreaker’s shoulder, and when his roommate didn’t shake him off, he slid his arm around Sunstreaker and rested his head on his shoulder instead. “For me?”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker rested a hand over his, giving it a squeeze. “It’s almost time for my weekly check-up anyway. I’ll go in a day sooner.”<br/><br/>“Today?”<br/><br/>“Today,” Sunstreaker confirmed with a sigh.<br/><br/>“Now?” Starscream pressed.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker slanted him a look. “Really?”<br/><br/>Starscream couldn’t explain it, but the unknown made him jittery, and he needed an answer as soon as possible. He needed to know Sunstreaker was all right.<br/><br/>“Yes.”<br/><br/>“Fine.” Sunstreaker slid off the berth, and Starscream joined him. “I take it you’re coming with?”<br/><br/>“If you don’t mind.”<br/><br/>“Of course not.” Sunstreaker’s face indicated otherwise. But he didn’t protest, and Starscream wasn’t going to point it out. He was more interested in the state of Sunstreaker’s health.<br/><br/>Starscream made a noncommittal noise. They tidied up their mess and each other, then ventured toward the lower floors where Wrench’s medical office could be found. Pre-sales floor hours meant the halls were quiet, most of the other escorts resting or preparing for the day’s opening.<br/><br/>The closer they got to Wrench’s, the more Sunstreaker’s disquiet echoed in his field. He’d already been quiet on the walk, but now he nibbled his bottom lip. His armor drew tight to his protoform. It unsettled Starscream. He’d never seen Sunstreaker get rattled over anything.<br/><br/>He’d always had a sort of casual attitude about his life expectancy and the weakness of his spark. But he’d never been particularly afraid of it.<br/><br/>Again, Starscream wondered if he knew something Starscream didn’t.<br/><br/>“I changed my mind,” Sunstreaker said the moment Wrench’s door came into view. He drew to a halt, and Starscream stopped with him. “I don’t want company.”<br/><br/>Starscream frowned. “Why?”<br/><br/>“Because if it’s bad news, I want to process it before I tell you.” Sunstreaker pressed his lips together, his field a discordant twang against Starscream’s own. He folded his arms, and in that moment, he looked small.<br/><br/>Starscream wanted to embrace him, but they were in the middle of a public corridor. He kept his hands to himself, though his spark ached. “You shouldn’t be alone.”<br/><br/>“I’ve been dealing with this alone for most of my life, Star.” Sunstreaker put his hand on the panel, opening the door. “I promise I’ll tell you when I’m done.”<br/><br/>He disappeared inside, leaving Starscream feeling cold in the corridor. Worry had him gnawing on the inside of his cheek.<br/><br/>He shouldn’t loiter outside of Wrench’s. It would only attract questions. He couldn’t fathom walking away either.<br/><br/>He paced instead.<br/><br/>He would wait.<br/><br/></p><p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~</p>
</div><p><br/><br/>“You’re early,” Wrench grunted as he gestured Sunstreaker into the only examination room he had. “What’s the matter?”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker climbed up onto the medberth and sat, anxiety twisting and gnawing inside his tanks like a cube of bad energon. “I’m not sure.”<br/><br/>Wrench hummed thoughtfully and grabbed his spark-scanner, powering it on. “All right. Then why is your field a mess, to start?”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker’s fingers tangled together, his hands resting in his lap. “I’m experiencing surges in arousal. Like Starscream but stronger.” He paused and shook his head, forehead crinkling. “I’d almost think someone slipped me a drug or something, but I can’t think of when they could have.”<br/><br/>“That’s… interesting.” Wrench pointed the scanner at him and it rattled to life, the wash of it prickling Sunstreaker’s sensors. “You’re still energetic? By your standards, I mean?”<br/><br/>Heat flooded Sunstreaker’s cheeks. “Enough that Starscream’s noticed.”<br/><br/>Wrench’s scanner beeped. He dragged the screen into view, optics narrowing as he flicked through the various readings.<br/><br/>“Well, your spark is definitely stronger,” Wrench said, his fingers dragging across the screen. He frowned, optics narrowing in concentration. “You’ve merged recently.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker startled. “You can tell?”<br/><br/>“Of course I can.” Wrench tapped the screen thoughtfully and looked up at him. “Something you wanna tell me, sparkling? I didn’t think you and the Seeker of yours were at the admitting stage yet.”<br/><br/>“We’re not.” Sunstreaker looked down, staring at his interlaced fingers. “I have patient confidentiality, right?”<br/><br/>Silence swept into the room.<br/><br/>Wrench creaked as he swiveled, setting aside the scanner. He scooted closer on his wheeled stool and rested his burnt copper hands over Sunstreaker’s.<br/><br/>“You can tell me anything, Sunstreaker,” he said, voice rough, but warm where it mattered. “I’ve been lookin’ after you for what feels like forever. I promise to keep it secret if you want.”<br/><br/>“I do.” Sunstreaker still couldn’t bring himself to meet Wrench’s gaze. He wasn’t ashamed, not really. He was disappointed in himself, confused about what had happened, and sparksick over the idea he had lost an experience he wanted to give to Starscream.<br/><br/>“It wasn’t Starscream,” he admitted, barely louder than a whisper. “It was a client, one I’ve been taking a lot lately. I don’t know what happened. I couldn’t stop myself. It was like his spark was… was calling to me.”<br/><br/>His hands shook under Wrench’s.<br/><br/>The medic gave him a comforting squeeze. “Do you want me to test you for intoxicants?”<br/><br/>“I don’t think he drugged me. I don’t know what it was, but it wasn’t… it wasn’t drugs.” Sunstreaker shuttered his optics and ex-vented, shaky though it was. “It didn’t hurt. It felt good, but you know, not like an overload does. Like… like I’d found a missing part of me.”<br/><br/>His insides curdled. He liked Sideswipe, he did. The mech was funny and submitted beautifully. But Sunstreaker didn’t want to be with him. He’d never fantasized about dating the mech, or spending every waking moment with him, or waking up beside him, or curling together quietly on a couch.<br/><br/>Which made those emotions all the more confusing. His spark ached for Sideswipe, as if that missing part was now too distant from him. But he wanted to be with Starscream.<br/><br/>Didn’t he?<br/><br/>Wrench performed a systems check, the click-click of a few systems resetting audible in the silence. “You remember last time I asked ya if I could send your results to a friend of mine?”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker nodded.<br/><br/>“He sent me somethin’ back.” Wrench squeezed his hands, his field layering over Sunstreaker’s with warmth and perfect. “It might be an answer. Might even explain everything. What do ya remember about your sparking?”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker’s forehead crinkled. “Nothing.” He looked up with a frown. “My memories are pretty jumbled. Staticky. They don’t make a lot of sense. I was raised in an orphanage with a bunch of other sparks no one wanted. It took me decades of working odd jobs to save up enough to get a proper frame.”<br/><br/>His first one had been hideous. Cobbled together, formed of basic parts and mismatched armor. His caretakers claimed they found him at the anonymous drop-off, barely adapted to his frame. They’d never bothered to trace where he might have come from.<br/><br/>“Ya didn’t have a caretaker?”<br/><br/>“Not a personal one. Not like most mechs.” Sunstreaker’s frown deepened, old hurts rising before he could quash them. He’d always suspected his original caretakers had abandoned him because of his spark condition. “Why?”<br/><br/>A ripple of something passed through Wrench’s optics. Anger maybe. But not at Sunstreaker. His field was as gentle and soothing as over.<br/><br/>“Your spark, it’s unfamiliar to me,” Wrench began after he cycled a ventilation. “But to mechs with better knowledge, there’s a coupla things it could be. My friend, he said the most likely culprit was that you were a twin.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker cycled his optics. “A what?”<br/><br/>“It happens sometimes. Sparks culled from the hot spot emerge branched or split, and it depends a lot on the skill of the harvester to separate them properly,” Wrench explained, but his words sounded like they were coming from a tunnel. “Apparently, your spark is behaving like one that was improperly harvested.”<br/><br/>Improperly…?<br/><br/>Sunstreaker’s head dipped. His vision tunneled. What did that even mean? “I… I don’t...”<br/><br/>Wrench opened his mouth to reply, only to pause. He tilted his head in a universal gesture mechs learned to recognize meant he was receiving an internal comm. He held up a finger and leaned back.<br/><br/>“Yes, Streamline?”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker stared hard at the ground. A twin? He was a twin? What did that even mean? What happened? If he had a twin, where was his brother? Why was he abandoned?<br/><br/>“I’m with a patient right now.” He paused and huffed a ventilation. “Sunstreaker.” Another pause and Wrench squeezed Sunstreaker’s hand. “Oh. We’ll be there in a moment.”<br/><br/>We?<br/><br/>Sunstreaker looked up. Wrench’s gaze had slid his direction, curious but not angry, and Sunstreaker’s spark throbbed a rhythm of anxiety.<br/><br/>“What is it?” Sunstreaker asked, mouth going dry.<br/><br/>“We’re needed in the foyer,” Wrench said as he rose, tugging Sunstreaker with him. “Apparently you have an insistent visitor. And he has enough creds and lawyers to make refusal not an option.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker cycled his optics, his confusion increasing exponentially. “Who?”<br/><br/>“A mech named Sideswipe.” Wrench gave him a curious look, as if peering through to Sunstreaker’s spark. “He wouldn’t, by any chance, be the mech you merged with?”<br/><br/>Color drained out of Sunstreaker’s face.<br/><br/>“Well, that’s a yes,” Wrench sighed. He held Sunstreaker’s elbow and directed him toward the door. “Come on, bitlet. I got a feelin’ I know where this conversation is gonna go.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker let Wrench guide him, in something of a haze. His processor spun, and he had the feeling that if he weren’t abnormally energetic right now, he probably would have collapsed from the strain. As it were, he leaned heavily on Wrench, following him out of the medical center.<br/><br/>Starscream waited outside.<br/><br/>Frag. He’d forgotten about Starscream.<br/><br/>His Seeker’s optics widened with concern. “What’s going on?” he demanded, rushing forward, cupping Sunstreaker’s face. “Where are you going?”<br/><br/>“To the lobby,” Wrench grunted.<br/><br/>“What? Why?” Starscream asked, his gaze cutting briefly to Wrench before returning to Sunstreaker, his field probing Sunstreaker’s in quiet demand for an answer.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker pressed his free hand to Starscream’s wrist, a soft pressure urging them down. “I’m not sure,” he said. “I’ll tell you later, all right?”<br/><br/>“No, I’m coming with you,” Starscream insisted, falling in step beside Sunstreaker and Wrench, who moved at a fast clip down the corridor.<br/><br/>Sideswipe must have been kicking up quite the fuss. It was odd. Sunstreaker hadn’t known the mech to be impatient or angry.<br/><br/>“We don’t have time to argue,” Wrench said with an audible sigh. He jabbed a finger to summon the lift, his armor drawn taut to his frame. He looked rattled, and it was an unfamiliar sight to Sunstreaker. “If you’re coming, Starscream, now’d be a good time to practice keepin’ your mouth shut.”<br/><br/>Starscream’s optics widened, his wings hiking upward in visible offense. “I’m not an idiot, Wrench,” he hissed.<br/><br/>“No, but you can be irrational when it comes to each other,” Wrench said in a terse tone.<br/><br/>The lift dinged, and he moved inside, still urging Sunstreaker with him. His grip was firm, but gentle, and Sunstreaker was grateful for it. He wasn’t sure he could focus without prodding. He felt weirdly disconnected from it all.<br/><br/>Starscream huffed and followed, wings flicking upward, arms crossing over his cockpit. “What you call irrationality, I call concern. Sunstreaker is my friend and roommate.” His gaze flicked back to Sunstreaker, field reaching out as well. “Do you not want me here?”<br/><br/>This, he asked, in a quieter voice, not that Wrench couldn’t still hear him, but Sunstreaker supposed it was the gesture that counted. Starscream’s hand rested on the arm Wrench didn’t hold, and the warmth of it was comforting and right now, Sunstreaker was weak.<br/><br/>“You can come,” he said and nibbled on his bottom lip as the lift descended at a rapid pace. “Just… whatever you find out...” Sunstreaker hesitated, his spark twisting and turning into knots. “Well, you’ll find out when I do, I guess.”<br/><br/>Starscream’s optics narrowed. “That’s not very comforting.”<br/><br/>“Imagine how I feel then.” Sunstreaker sighed and slipped his arms free of both Wrench and Starscream, determined to face this on his own strength, weak though it may be. He’d survived most of his life by scraping and scratching for the right to function.<br/><br/>He’d meet this with that same tenacity.<br/><br/>The lift stopped with an ironically cheerful ding. Sunstreaker stepped out before his companions, leading the way to the main lobby. This time of day, it would be empty, save for the cleaning and prep staff. They wouldn’t open for another hour or so.<br/><br/>There was a group of people in the foyer, gathered in the central seating area, but Sideswipe was the only one standing. He paced back and forth, arms clasped behind his back, his face creased with no sign of his usual bright cheer.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker’s spark throbbed at the sight of him, and he hesitated, touching the seam of his chestplate.<br/><br/>Streamline turned at their arrival, and he looked cross. “Took you long enough,” he snapped. “Get down here.”<br/><br/>“I’ll have you be polite, if you don’t mind,” Sideswipe said, his voice commanding and cold as he came to a halt. His gaze snapped toward Sunstreaker, something both apologetic and yearning. “In fact, I don’t think your presence is required.”<br/><br/>Streamline spun toward Sideswipe, mouth open. “This is my place of business and--”<br/><br/>“This is a private matter.” Sideswipe rose to his height, chin lifted. “If I so chose, I could seize this place and make it my own, so if I were you, I’d rethink the next words emerging from your mouth.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker’s optics widened.<br/><br/>Behind him, he heard Starscream’s sharp intake of vent, and a muttered curse. His field spiked with confusion.<br/><br/>Streamline’s mouth snapped shut, his lips forming a thin line. He all but vibrated with outrage, but he spun on a heel and stomped away from Sideswipe. He nearly clipped Wrench in his haste to depart.<br/><br/>The door slammed in his absence.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker was left with Wrench and Starscream.<br/><br/>And Sideswipe and the three strangers he’d brought with him.<br/><br/>“I’m sorry,” Sideswipe said, instantly losing the harsh glare to his optics, and the rigid lines of his armor. He softened, arms unfolding, and he moved toward Sunstreaker slowly, but with purpose. “I know my coming here today is a surprise, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to know the truth.”<br/><br/>“About what?” Sunstreaker asked, fearing that he already know.<br/><br/>Sideswipe’s gaze flicked to Starscream before returning to Sunstreaker again. His free hand landed against his chestplate. “I know you wanted to keep what happened between us a secret, but it left me unsettled.” He paused, looking distant. “Unsettled in a way I’ve never felt before. I sought out the advice of my personal medic.” His free hand gestured to the mech in bright white armor behind him. “And what he found left me with more questions than answers.”<br/><br/>Wrench moved up beside Sunstreaker. “Frequency of a shared spark?” he asked gruffly.<br/><br/>The medic jerked his head in a nod. “Precisely.”<br/><br/>Wrench sighed.<br/><br/>“A shared spark?” Starscream repeated. He glanced between Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. “Wait. I don’t understand. What the frag does that mean?” He looked… he looked hurt, and Sunstreaker longed to comfort him.<br/><br/>It was all his fault. This truth he didn’t know. This truth he didn’t realize was out there.<br/><br/>“Sprocket believes I merged with my twin,” Sideswipe explained, and a spark of joy danced in his optics. He was within reach now, and he lifted his hands in an aborted gesture when Sunstreaker unconsciously stepped back from him. “It was a surprise to me, too. I didn’t know I had a twin. It’s a weird turn of events, and if my caretakers were alive, I’d ask them about it.”<br/><br/>“M-merged?” Starscream echoed. He paled and stumbled backward, his field radiating hurt.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker looked at the ground. “I don’t have a twin,” he said. “But I also don’t have an explanation for what happened either.”<br/><br/>“It’s a simple scan, Sunstreaker.” Sprocket rose from his couch. He was a small medic, in comparison to Wrench, and his shiny armor was almost blinding. It had never been touched by rust or scratch.<br/><br/>Thus was the evidence of the wealthy.<br/><br/>“It’ll only take a moment to compare your spark frequencies,” Sprocket added with a smile Sunstreaker supposed was meant to be reassuring.<br/><br/>It wasn’t.<br/><br/>He’d spent far too much of his life with medics poking and prodding at him, trying to find out what was wrong with him, until Sunstreaker stopped going to his appointments. There was no solution, no cure. He learned to live with it instead, and never trusted another medic, until he met Wrench.<br/><br/>A heavy hand rested gently on his shoulder. “It really is just a scan,” Wrench rumbled. “No different than what I do every week.” His field touched Sunstreaker’s with a brush of comfort. “I can perform it myself if you want.”<br/><br/>He didn’t dare look at Starscream.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker nodded. He didn’t trust himself to speak either.<br/><br/>Wrench patted him on the shoulder and looked past him. “Will that satisfy your lawyers?”<br/><br/>Sideswipe looked at Sunstreaker, and maybe he could read the hesitation, the fear in his optics, because he nodded. “It’s enough for me, and that’s what matters.” He gestured to his medic again. “Sprocket has the proper scanner.”<br/><br/>“I know how to use it.” Wrench leveraged past Sunstreaker, nearly twice Sprocket’s size, a rusty mech as intimidating as he was gentle. “Might not look it, but I graduated top of my class.”<br/><br/>“Back in the beginning of time? With Primus and Adaptus maybe?” Sideswipe asked with a teasing grin, probably trying to interject some levity into the tense moment.<br/><br/>Wrench snorted a laugh. “Maybe a graduating class or two behind them.” He grinned and reached for the scanner Sprocket had to offer. “Oh, the stories I could tell you, sparkling.”<br/><br/>Sideswipe chuckled. “Maybe sometime after this is solved, yeah? Something tells me you know all kinds of interesting things.”<br/><br/>Wrench gave him a look before he patted Sideswipe on the shoulder, much to the stiffening of the mech bristling with weaponry standing next to Sprocket. “I like you, bitlet. We’ll see.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker snuck a glance at Starscream, but his Seeker had drawn inward. His wings drooped, his arms folding tight over his chassis. He kept peering at Sideswipe before staring at the ground again.<br/><br/>He didn’t look at Sunstreaker.<br/><br/>Was this the moment he lost Starscream?<br/><br/>Or worse.<br/><br/>Maybe he never had his Seeker to start.<br/><br/></p><p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite Sideswipe’s joke, the tension in the room was too much to be so easily alleviated. Starscream couldn’t bear to look at Sunstreaker or Sideswipe. Couldn’t acknowledge Wrench or Sideswipe’s medic Sprocket. Didn’t look at Sideswipe’s usual guard – Starscream couldn’t recall his designation at the moment. He assumed the third, unnamed mech was Sideswipe’s lawyer.<br/><br/>He was the smallest of Sideswipe’s three companions. He sat on the couch, one leg folded over the other, a datapad in his hand, completely absorbed in it. If he noticed the tension, there was no sign of it.<br/><br/>Starscream envied him.<br/><br/>He stared hard at the floor, traced a smear in the polishing where someone hadn’t cleaned properly. He couldn’t get his wings to stop twitching. He was hyper-focused on the sound of the scanner whirring in Wrench’s hands as he hid Sunstreaker in a corner of the room so he could scan Sunstreaker’s open spark without everyone seeing it.<br/><br/>Sideswipe bounced on his heels, hands behind his back again, watching Wrench and Sunstreaker. His field was chaotic, even when Sprocket walked up beside him, murmuring something out of Starscream’s audial range.<br/><br/>“I’m open to suggestions,” Sideswipe said. “But it’s my choice in the end. You know that.”<br/><br/>It was weird, to hear Sideswipe so firm and commanding. In the few times Starscream had him as a client, he’d been beautifully submissive.<br/><br/>“Of course, milord,” Sprocket replied.<br/><br/>He wore command easily. He wore nobility in much the same manner. He cast it aside while in Blue Sun, and picked it up once more, as if it were a mantle he could remove.<br/><br/>Fascinating.<br/><br/>Wrench's scanner beeped a three-tone chime, signaling it had completed the scan. Sunstreaker hastily snapped his chestplate shut, his face colored with heat. Wrench patted him on the shoulder and turned back toward the waiting group, peering intently at the readings.<br/><br/>"Well?" Sideswipe prompted.<br/><br/>Wrench's orbital ridges lifted. "I need somethin' to compare it to, don't I?" he asked as he crooked a finger at Sprocket. "Bring me your readings."<br/><br/>"They're already on the scanner," Sprocket answered as he rose up on the tip of his feet, and tapped his fingers across the screen. "See?"<br/><br/>"Yeah."<br/><br/>Both medics peered at the screen. Starscream's wings twitched out of impatience. He snuck a glance at Sunstreaker, and as long as they had been roommates, Starscream couldn't read his expression. He had no idea what Sunstreaker was thinking.<br/><br/>"That settles it," Wrench said.<br/><br/>"Beyond a fraction of a doubt," Sprocket confirmed and took the scanner from Wrench's hand. He looked over at Sideswipe. "You're twins."<br/><br/>It felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the room. Like Starscream had been punched in the gut. All of the color drained from Sunstreaker's face. Sideswipe's optics widened, and his lips started to curve into a smile.<br/><br/>"Split-spark twins, to be accurate," Wrench grunted. He folded his arms over his chestplate. "Dunno how you ended up separated but... I guess these things happen."<br/><br/>Sprocket sniffed. "Not in properly trained facilities. Somebody must have failed at their job." He tucked the scanner into his subspace. "With your permission, sir, I'll begin investigating this at once. I have a few friends in the harvesting department."<br/><br/>Sideswipe lifted a hand. "Whoa. Hold on. Before you start demanding answers, let's face the repercussions of the here and now." He glanced past both medics, to Sunstreaker, who hadn't moved. "Sunstreaker?"<br/><br/>Sunstreaker finally stirred, his gaze shifting to Sideswipe with something like wonder. "I have a brother?"<br/><br/>"We both do." Sideswipe's grin was so bright, it could have stood against the sun. "We're twins."<br/><br/>He crossed the space between them swiftly, taking Sunstreaker's dangling hands and squeezing them. Sunstreaker.<br/><br/>"I knew I felt something weird when our sparks touched but I never imagined..." A soft laugh spilled out of Sideswipe's mouth. "Primus, this is amazing. What are the chances?"<br/><br/>"Astronomical," Starscream muttered.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker's hands twitched, and then they squeezed Sideswipe's back, and Starscream couldn’t stop the stab of jealousy in his spark. "But what does it mean?"<br/><br/>"It means you’re brothers. Family," Sprocket said.<br/><br/>Sideswipe rolled his optics at his medic. "That's not the question he's asking, Sprocket. He's wondering what it means for him." He scoffed. "As if I'd leave my brother in a place like this. Unless, of course, you'd rather stay here...?"<br/><br/>"You want me to come with you?" Sunstreaker asked, voice faint, and he swayed a little where he stood, his optics flickering.<br/><br/>Starscream's spark shrank into a tiny ball.<br/><br/>"Yes!" Sideswipe bounced a little in place. "I didn't know I had a brother much less a twin! I didn't know I still had family.” His field spun through the room, radiant with his delight, and Starscream closed himself off from it before he got purged. “Now that I do, I want to get to know you, I want you to see what should be yours, too. I want us to be a family. I mean, if you want that, too."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker's mouth opened and closed. He glanced over at Starscream, but Starscream couldn't read the look in his optics.<br/><br/>He looked away. This wasn’t his choice to make.<br/><br/>"I don't know," Sunstreaker said, and his engine gave a weak, high-pitched whine. "I just… I don't..."<br/><br/>"Sir, if I might interject." Sideswipe's lawyer stood up, his dour voice at complete odds with the brightness of his paint. "This must come as a shock to Sunstreaker. He had a life before this moment. What he needs right now, I should think, is time to absorb."<br/><br/>Sideswipe huffed. "I know that," he said with a scowl. "But he can have a better life. With me. I just want him to know that. I don't expect him to walk out the door with me right now." He looked at Sunstreaker again. "You get that right? Whatever happens, it's up to you. I'm not going to drag you out. I promise."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker jerked his head in a nod. "I get that. I just need time to think. There's a lot to think about. I never imagined..." He let go of Sideswipe’s hand and rubbed his central seam, though it didn’t look to be a conscious action. "I need time."<br/><br/>"I understand." Sideswipe nodded as if to himself. He dug around in an arm compartment and produced a datachip. "Here. This is my direct line. I don't want to harass you, so when you're ready to talk, whether it's to tell me you want to come home with me or you never want to see me again, you can contact me." He nibbled on his bottom lip and grabbed Sunstreaker's hand, gently pressing the chip to his palm. "I mean, I know what my vote is."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker's fingers curled around the chip. "A week," he murmured. "I won't make you wait any longer than a week."<br/><br/>"It's okay if you do." Sideswipe smiled, tilting forward as though he wanted to embrace Sunstreaker or even kiss him, only to spin away at the last moment as he decided otherwise. "Sprocket, Chamber, let's go."<br/><br/>"Are you sure?" asked the one Starscream was rather certain was both the lawyer and designated Chamber. "Was this not our whole purpose in coming here? To rescue him?"<br/><br/>"This wasn’t about rescue," Sideswipe retorted, and he shot Chamber a sharp look of reprimand. "And, no. I wanted confirmation. After that, well, we've got all the time in the world."<br/><br/>Starscream supposed that was true. Sideswipe could afford to wait as long as he wanted.<br/><br/>He watched Sideswipe all but push his medic and lawyer out the door, the one guard he had on duty following after. The door shut behind them with a quiet click, as if in deference to the tense atmosphere left in their wake.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker sighed, knees wobbling, and nearly sank to the ground if not for Wrench appearing behind him, gripping an elbow.<br/><br/>"You're all right, bitlet. You're all right," Wrench said.<br/><br/>"I'm not sure I am," Sunstreaker rasped, but he stayed on his feet. His gaze found Starscream's, and something flickered in his optics. "Star..."<br/><br/>He didn't know how, but he managed a smile. It might have even been convincing. "Look at you," he said, "with a brother, a twin, no less. That's great news, isn't it?"<br/><br/>“I don’t know,” Sunstreaker said. He tilted, and Wrench caught him, his hand still clutching at his chestplate. “This is a lot.”<br/><br/>“Not everyday you find out you still have family. Come on, kiddo. Sit down before you fall down.” Wrench mechhandled Sunstreaker to one of the couches and lowered him into it. “There you go. Starscream, get over here.”<br/><br/>Starscream, however, didn’t move. He was frozen in place, feet metaphorically nailed to the ground.<br/><br/>Sideswipe was everything he wasn’t. He was beautiful and rich; he could take care of Sunstreaker without any trouble. He had an actual connection to Sunstreaker, while Starscream was a roommate who squirmed his way into Sunstreaker’s berth. He couldn’t compete with that.<br/><br/>“I’ll tell Streamline you’re off shift tonight, and that you won’t be seeing any clients,” Starscream said, retreating back a pace, his spark hammering in his chassis, too big and loud for him to hear anything but a buzz in his audials.<br/><br/>Wrench frowned. “I can handle that.”<br/><br/>“No, you take care of Sunstreaker. He needs a medic, I think,” Starscream said, as Sunstreaker stared at the table, pale, shaky, vents coming in shorter, sharper gasps. “He trusts you.”<br/><br/>Starscream offered a thin, wan smile. “I’ll be right back,” he said, and he escaped, while the burn of Wrench’s disappointment in him scorched his spinal strut and seared his wings.<br/><br/>He did go find Streamline, his boss pacing around the ready-room, taking his irritation on all of the escorts preparing for the day, barking orders and the like. No one’s paying him much mind save for their newest hire, a pretty purple Seeker name of Misfire who kept trying to befriend Starscream, much to his annoyance.<br/><br/>He sensed Misfire wasn’t going to be here long. He was flighty and prone to wandering off if he wasn’t carefully guided. As much as Streamline wanted another Seeker for his ranks, Misfire couldn’t hold a candle to Starscream.<br/><br/>“Starscream!” Streamline barked the moment Starscream stepped into view, storming his way with irritation writ over his features. “Where is your roommate? I know he doesn’t have a client today so I want him on the sales floor.”<br/><br/>Starscream lifted his chin and folded his arms. “Sunstreaker will not be working today or tomorrow,” he said, careful to keep his tone even and his emotions concealed. “If you have a problem with it, I’m sure his patron’s lawyers will clear it up for you.”<br/><br/>Streamline drew up short, visibly twitching. “Did they at least vacate my selling floor?”<br/><br/>“You’ll have to ask Wrench. They were still there, last I saw,” Starscream said, trying to effect a nonchalance he didn’t feel. His armor threatened to rattle, and his spark spiraled into a tighter ball.<br/><br/>“What the frag is going on?”<br/><br/>Starscream shook his head. “That’s not my story to tell, boss. You’ll have to ask them.” His lip curled into a smirk. “Though I guess you’re going to have to watch what you say from now on.”<br/><br/>Streamline growled, violence wrote across the flicker of his armor, but he whirled away from Starscream with a roar of his engine. “Get cleaned up. I want you on the floor with the rest of them.”<br/><br/>“Yes, sir,” Starscream gritted out. His smile showed too much denta, not that Streamline could see it.<br/><br/>Starscream would show his face, but that didn’t mean he would be an appealing one. He was in no mood to entertain. Right now, he didn’t care about the lost revenue.<br/><br/>Besides, if he took up Nightshade’s offer, that wouldn’t matter, would it? Sunstreaker would leave with his twin, Starscream would leave with Nightshade, and that was the best outcome for everyone.<br/><br/>Wasn’t it?<br/><br/>“Star?”<br/><br/>Rodimus bounced up to him, face creased in concern. “What’s going on? What’s up with Sunstreaker?”<br/><br/>“Nothing serious,” Starscream lied, and gave Rodimus a quick once-over. His protege had much improved since Starscream had taken him under a wing, but he still had a lot to learn. There was a smear of polish on his spoiler.<br/><br/>Starscream clicked his glossa. “Rodimus, you’re smeared. Come on. I’ll fix it.” He took Rodimus by the shoulder and steered him to a vanity in the corner, away from the prying optics of the curious escorts, especially those ignoring Streamline’s continued bluster.<br/><br/>“You’re lying.” Rodimus dropped into the stool and held still while Starscream gripped his spoiler. “What’s going on? Your field’s a mess. You and Sunny get into it again?”<br/><br/>“No.”<br/><br/>Rodimus turned, his spoiler flicking away as he caught Starscream’s hand. “Let me help. Please?”<br/><br/>It was hard to resist Rodimus’ genuine concern. Starscream sighed, his shoulders slumping, and pressed Rodimus’ hand back into his lap.<br/><br/>“Not now,” he murmured as he grabbed a cloth to gently work the polish into Rodimus’ armor, making him sleek and shiny once more. “Later. Once we close.”<br/><br/>Rodimus caught his gaze in the mirror. “If you say so,” he said. “But you’re telling me why it looks like your spark is broken.”<br/><br/>Starscream gnawed on his bottom lip. He stepped back and offered the polishing cloth. “Help me with my wings? I didn’t get a chance to tend them earlier.”<br/><br/>“You don’t even gotta ask.”<br/><br/>They swapped places. Starscream didn’t look in the mirror. He stared blankly at the assembled polishing and painting and decorating supplies on the vanity. Some of them, he knew, had been hand-picked by Sunstreaker to ensure the Blue Sun’s merchandise exhibited only the highest standards of beauty.<br/><br/>His spark clenched.<br/><br/>“It’s gonna be okay, Star,” Rodimus squeezed his shoulder, his field touching Starscream’s with warmth and comfort and affection.<br/><br/>Starscream wished he could believe him.<br/><br/></p><p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~</p>
</div><p><br/><br/>“I’m going to kill Starscream,” Wrench muttered as he bustled around the space of his medical office, bringing Sunstreaker energon and coolant and thermal blankets as if he was building a protective nest, or maybe, just needed something to do with his hands.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker stared at the floor. “It’s not his fault.”<br/><br/>“It damn sure is. He should be here with you, not running away like a fragging coward.” Wrench huffed, his engine rumbling an agitated anger.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker rubbed his fingers on the energon cube, watching the liquid shimmer in the overhead light. “We’re roommates. I’m not his responsibility.”<br/><br/>“Don’t give me that slag, bitlet. I ain’t stupid and neither are you.” Wrench stomped closer, dragging a chair with him, which he dropped into. It creaked its displeasure, but held his weight. “Now, I’m sure you got a lot of questions. Ask ‘em.”<br/><br/>“I don’t know where to begin.” Sunstreaker rubbed his forehead, feeling scraped raw and bleeding, for all he hadn’t suffered a physical wound.<br/><br/>Wrench leaned over and snagged a datapad off the table, swiping rapidly across the screen until he found something, which he then shoved under Sunstreaker’s nose. “See this?”<br/><br/>“A bunch of squiggles?” There were two matching lines of jagged arches, one in a pale pink and the other in a pale yellow.<br/><br/>“Spark frequencies,” Wrench corrected. He pointed to the yellow, and then the pink. “This is you. This is Sideswipe.” He tapped the screen and the lines superimposed on each other. They flashed as they lined up perfectly. “You’ve got the same spark harmonics. Do you know the likelihood of that happening if you two ain’t twins?”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker took the datapad, staring at the proof. “Low.”<br/><br/>“Damn straight it’s low. It’s impossible.” Wrench sat back, his hands scrubbing down his thighs. “He’s your brother, and he’s the reason your spark is stabilizing.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker gnawed on the inside of his cheek. “Can he fix me?”<br/><br/>Wrench shook his head. “There’s no fixing you, bitlet. Merging with him will stabilize you longer, keep you at a more normal energy level, but it’s not a cure.” He scratched his chin, a few flakes of rust drifting away. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not an expert in spark mechanics, but I’m sure of this.”<br/><br/>“But I won’t need the spark batteries if I’m with him.”<br/><br/>“Nope.”<br/><br/>“And I’ll have normal energy levels? I’ll live longer?”<br/><br/>Wrench nodded.<br/><br/>The datapad shook in Sunstreaker’s fingers. With Sideswipe, he wouldn’t be a burden. He would have a family. He could leave Blue Sun; he could think about the future. He could <em>live</em>.<br/><br/>He could be with Starscream. If Starscream wanted him. If Sideswipe would let him. So many ifs.<br/><br/>It was too much.<br/><br/>What did he really know about Sideswipe? He knew the mech was rich, powerful because of his wealth, as kind as a patron could be, and had a possibly unhealthy humiliation kink. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and a strong sense of justice. He was beautiful.<br/><br/>He was the other half of Sunstreaker’s spark. Even now, it yearned for Sideswipe. It spun and danced a beat that sang for his twin, and it was a relief as much as it was an agony.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker trusted Sideswipe, against all odds, and that had to be because of the nature of their sparks. Logically, he shouldn’t otherwise. He barely knew the mech.<br/><br/>He didn’t want to leave Starscream.<br/><br/>But did Starscream want to leave him?<br/><br/>“I can practically hear those gears grinding, bitlet,” Wrench said, gentler this time, as he took the datapad from Sunstreaker’s hand. “You don’t have to go with him. He can’t make you.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker shook his head. “He wouldn’t force it.”<br/><br/>“You’re sure?”<br/><br/>“I can’t explain it, but yeah, I’m sure. If I wanted to stay, he’d understand.” Except that Sunstreaker didn’t want to.<br/><br/>If he was stable. If he was healthy. He wouldn’t need Blue Sun. He wouldn’t need this work.<br/><br/>Wrench rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently, and Sunstreaker looked up at him.<br/><br/>“Bit, you need to talk to your Seeker,” he said. “You can’t make this decision without him.”<br/><br/>"I know," Sunstreaker said and swallowed a sigh. Conversation? He and Starscream had never been good about honesty with each other. "He's on the floor now. I'll talk to him later."<br/><br/>"Do." Wrench patted his shoulder again and stood, setting the datapad on a nearby table. "Things have a way of working themselves out. You'll see."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker wanted to believe him, but it was all a bit too much right now. His world had tilted on its axis in the span of a few hours, and he'd yet to find his equilibrium.<br/><br/>He had a choice to make, and he wasn't sure where the spinner would land.<br/><br/></p><p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Their room was clean.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker couldn't determine why, but this bothered him. Starscream's belongings were neatly organized and in their proper place. The laundry was in the bin. Datapads were on shelves. Polishing supplies were arranged neatly in their drawers.<br/><br/>Starscream had been picking up after himself.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker didn't like it.<br/><br/>Their room was oddly quiet, too far removed from the selling floor to catch echoes of the music constantly playing, the only noise was the barely audible hum of the lights and the electronics. The windows were too thick to carry the background noise of the outside world. Starscream hadn't left the radio on, like he was prone to do.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker flicked it on, spinning the dial until he found a station that wouldn't grate on his audials. Something without words, a gentle melody to soothe the spark.<br/><br/>It didn't help.<br/><br/>He checked his chronometer. It was nearing the closing time for the sales floor. If Starscream hadn't taken a client -- unlikely -- he'd return any moment now. If he decided to return here. He might go to Rodimus. That seemed to be his preference as of late.<br/><br/>Long nights with clients. Some nights with Rodimus. Few nights with Sunstreaker.<br/><br/>There was a miles wide gulf between them, and Sunstreaker only had himself to blame. Ever since Turmoil, well.<br/><br/>He'd fragged up. He knew he did. He'd long since come to terms with his own mortality and impending death, but the idea of Starscream hurt? It was anathema. He couldn't bear it.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker paced. He couldn't focus to read. His hands trembled too much to tend to his armor. He contemplated the info chip Sideswipe had given him, and resisted the urge to call him. His brother. His twin.<br/><br/>The door clicked open, Starscream coming inside slowly, like he was trying to creep in without waking Sunstreaker, until he realized the room was brightly lit. Only then did he straighten, shoulders back, wings arched, tensed as though he expected a fight.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker was tired of fighting.<br/><br/>"No client?" he asked.<br/><br/>"I Promoted instead," Starscream said, which was unusual for the Seeker. Promoters were paid a base fee, and their sole purpose was to sell the other escorts to the Patrons. It was usually a job for those who no longer wished to serve, or for those who were better at selling than performing.<br/><br/>Promoting paid nothing compared to what Starscream could earn from a single patron.<br/><br/>"Sell anyone good?" Sunstreaker asked.<br/><br/>Starscream snorted, but offered a smirk. "Got Misfire a high-paying client. I think Fulcrum finally found what he was looking for."<br/><br/>His Seeker always did have a knack for knowing exactly what the patrons wanted, even if they weren't sure themselves.<br/><br/>"Good. It's about time," Sunstreaker said.<br/><br/>There was a huge gulf between them. He had to cross it without devolving into a fight. No matter what else, Starscream was his friend. Sunstreaker didn't want to lose that.<br/><br/>"Can we talk?" Sunstreaker asked.<br/><br/>Starscream sighed and sat on the edge of his berth. "I suppose there's no avoiding it." He crossed his arms, his armor taut, his field withdrawn. "When are you leaving?"<br/><br/>Sunstreaker frowned, and almost rose to the bait. "I'm not sure I am," he said. He sat on his own berth, the open floor of their shared space between them, and felt that distance keenly.<br/><br/>"Why not? He's your brother, your family. He can take care of you way better than this dump?" Starscream made a sharp gesture to the whole of Blue Sun. "Why would you want to stay here?"<br/><br/>"You know why," Sunstreaker said with a tightness building in his chassis. "We don't talk about it, but we both know it."<br/><br/>Starscream grinned, and there was nothing friendly about it. "What? Me? Oh, don't worry about me." He waved one hand. "It's been crazy or I would have told you sooner, but it turns out, I have an offer, too."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker stilled. "An offer? Who?"<br/><br/>"Nightshade." Starscream unfolded his arms, bracing them on the edge of his berth. "He wants to sponsor me, and from what I can tell, it's a very generous offer. I wouldn't need to work here at all anymore, though I could still take clients if I wanted."<br/><br/>"You're leaving?"<br/><br/>Starscream shrugged and looked toward the window, his wings drifting down. "I was thinking about it. It's not like I want to stay here forever, and when you leave with Sideswipe, that means I'm free to go, too. So I'll be fine. Don't you worry about me."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker's vents stuttered. The pressure in his chassis grew and grew, until it felt harder to ventilate.<br/><br/>"It's almost fate, isn't it?" Starscream murmured. "Yesterday Nightshade offered to sponsor me, and today Sideswipe comes for you. It's like Primus is telling us what we have to do."<br/><br/>"You can't believe that."<br/><br/>"Well, no, not really. I don't hold any stock in Primus." Starscream finally looked at him, his face unreadable, his optics a mask hiding every emotion. "But it works out anyway. Family should be together."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker swallowed over a lump in his intake. "I can't tell what you want more, for me to go, or for you to leave. Either way, it sounds like you don't want to be with me."<br/><br/>"We're friends, Sunny. It's not like I'll never see you again. We'll still live in the same city." Starscream smile was flat and bland and everything Sunstreaker had seen him offer a client. He'd never been on the receiving end of it before.<br/><br/>He hated it.<br/><br/>"Streamline will be happy to be rid of me anyway. I'm too much trouble, and he has Misfire now. Win-win, if you ask me, though he won't be happy to see you go," Starscream continued, nattering on in the background, his voice fading away.<br/><br/>Heat crawled under Sunstreaker's armor. His world narrowed to a fine point, gray fading in on the edges. His spark felt like it was going to shrink to nothingness as Starscream reasoned away their years upon years of a friendship.<br/><br/>Was he the only one then? Had it only ever been convenient for Starscream? Why was it so easy for him to walk away?<br/><br/>And for <em>Nightshade</em>? The mech who had no problem putting them in harms way to ensure Turmoil's arrest?<br/><br/>Sunstreaker stood, vents sharp, thoughts spinning. “You really want me to go?” he demanded, interrupting Starscream in the midst of extolling the many reasons both of them should put Blue Sun in their rearview mirror.<br/><br/>“I want you to be happy,” Starscream said, but his armor drew so tight he must have been on the verge of overheating, and he gave Sunstreaker a cautious look. “You’re not going to find that here, so if you think that means I want you to leave, then that must be what I mean.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker’s engine revved. “You’re an idiot,” he snapped, the tight band of emotion in his chassis snapping at once. “I’m happy with you. As long as you’re in my life, I’m happy, but I must be the only one who feels that way.”<br/><br/>He spun on a heel and made a break for the door, everything exploding inside of him, his audials crackling, his face burning, his optics overheating. If Starscream called for him, he didn’t hear it, and he wouldn’t have listened anyway.<br/><br/>He needed to go. Away. Somewhere else.<br/><br/>He didn’t have a clue where.<br/><br/>The door closed behind him. He stood in the dim hallway, struggling to ventilate, the lateness of the evening granting him empty corridors and no witnesses.<br/><br/>He had nowhere to go. He wasn’t like Starscream. He couldn’t barge into Rodimus’ dorm and demand a place in Rodimus’ bed. He had no other friends. He wouldn’t return to Wrench.<br/><br/>This room was the only place he had ever considered a solace. Starscream was the only mech he called for comfort.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker went to the prep room. This time of the evening, it was deserted. There were no escorts painting themselves for prospective clients. Most of the lights were off. The cleaning crew had already been through, tidying after the often messy escorts.<br/><br/>He slumped into the vanity he’d claimed for himself long ago. Everyone knew better than to use it, even on days when he wasn’t on the sales floor or available to customers. No one touched his things.<br/><br/>Well.<br/><br/>No one but Starscream.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker rubbed his face, the silence of the prep room wrapping around him. He heard a thin whine and realized too late it was his own engines, the labors of his vents, the chaos of his thoughts and his emotions.<br/><br/>He looked pale in the mirror, his armor in desperate need of a polish. But, for once, he didn’t feel weak and ready to collapse. His spark spun on, stronger than ever, and he had Sideswipe to thank.<br/><br/>Sideswipe.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker slipped the datachip out again, turning it over in his fingers. He wasn’t alone after all, was he?<br/><br/>He dialed the comm.<br/><br/>Sideswipe picked up within the first few seconds. “Sunstreaker!” His greeting was warm and enthused, and immediately, a wave of calm swept through Sunstreaker, the first volley against the raging tide of emotion. “That was a little quick. Is everything okay?”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker stared at himself in the mirror. He couldn’t see Sideswipe in him, but then, they’d had vastly different re-frames, hadn’t they? “I need to know,” he said. “What does this mean?”<br/><br/>"You'll have to be a bit more specific," Sideswipe said, and in the background there was a murmur of noise before it was silenced.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker stared at himself in the mirror, his intake feeling tight. "If I don't go with you, or if I do or..."<br/><br/>"Take a deep vent, okay," Sideswipe said, cutting him off, but at least he was gentle about it. "Listen. Nothing has to change if you don't want it to." He paused and chuckled softly, "Okay, I'm fibbing a little. One thing is going to change. My lawyers are looking into it now, but as far as I'm concerned, half my creds belong to you, so you'll be getting what's yours no matter what."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker blinked. "Are you serious?"<br/><br/>"Whatever happened to separate us, it's not your fault," Sideswipe said, and it was hard to deny the sincerity in his voice. "Half of this is meant to be yours. Frag, according to my medic, you're probably older than me, so technically, you should be in charge here. Though I don't think you want that."<br/><br/>"No, I don't," Sunstreaker said. His processor spun in a thousand directions. Sideswipe wanted to share his fortune? Sideswipe wanted to claim him as brother in the optics of the law?<br/><br/>It was unbelievable.<br/><br/>"Exactly!" Sideswipe sounded thrilled. "So whatever you decide you're going to have more creds than you know what to do with. You'll be able to do whatever you want!"<br/><br/>Sunstreaker shook his head, though Sideswipe couldn't see it. "That's generous of you. I feel like I should be suspicious."<br/><br/>Sideswipe chuckled as though he didn't take any offense. "I mean, I understand why you would be. I admit, I'm kind of hoping you want to come live with me, because I want to get to know you, but I'd understand if you chose otherwise."<br/><br/>"Without strings?"<br/><br/>"You can hire whatever lawyer you want to look over the legalities of it when the time comes. I promise, it's yours." Sideswipe hummed thoughtfully. "Truth is, you could write me off and sue me for this if you wanted. I'm just saving both of us some creds and cheating the courts out of their cut. Besides, it's the right thing to do."<br/><br/>Cunning and ruthless. Sunstreaker liked this side of Sideswipe. Clearly, his wealth wasn't only inherited. He must be rather shrewd to keep his creds and expand them.<br/><br/>"I don't want to write you off," Sunstreaker murmured. This much he knew. He did want to get to know Sideswipe.<br/><br/>It was the rest which confused him.<br/><br/>"I'm hearing hesitation," Sideswipe prompted.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker sighed. "It's complicated." He rubbed a hand down his face, a new ache building in his temples.<br/><br/>At the very least, he trusted Sideswipe. He was sure whatever he decided, he would be taken care of. He couldn’t explain why. He just knew.<br/><br/>"Uh huh. It's Starscream, isn't it?"<br/><br/>Primus, did everyone know? Were they that obvious? Sunstreaker pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed again, a rattling sound, betraying the distress in his vents.<br/><br/>"I thought so," he admitted. "But now I'm not so sure. Maybe there's no reason for me to hesitate."<br/><br/>"Do you love him?" Sideswipe asked.<br/><br/>"Yes." It was too easy to admit it. To Rodimus, Sunstreaker would lie. To Wrench, he'd obfuscate. To Starscream, he'd redirect.<br/><br/>To Sideswipe, the truth spilled out of him without a second thought. Was this what it meant to have a twin? Sunstreaker was desperate to find out more. This feeling of not being alone, he wanted to hold onto it for as long as he could. It was different than wanting to be with Starscream. Not bad different or good different, just different.<br/><br/>"Then tell him," Sideswipe said, his voice absurdly gentle, though Sunstreaker didn't feel condescended to. "Be sure. I'm not going anywhere."<br/><br/>He was right.<br/><br/>If Sunstreaker walked away without saying anything, without even asking, he'd constantly be left wondering 'what if?' If he was leaving, what did it matter if he broke his spark on the way out, at least he wouldn't have to look into the face of the one who'd done it.<br/><br/>He ventilated quietly. "Are you sure I'm the older one? Because it sounds like you're the one who's wise."<br/><br/>Sideswipe laughed. "I have all the best therapy creds can buy, Sunny. I've picked up a few things here and there."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker managed a small laugh. "Well, it's obviously helping." He paused, a warmth bubbling in his spark to ease the chill. "Um, thanks, Sideswipe. It's kind of nice having a brother."<br/><br/>"And you can have me all you want when you move in," Sideswipe said, his vocals singsong and teasing. "Or you can call me anytime. I mean that, too. Even if it's just to talk about, I dunno, the newest episode of The Fierce and the Passionate."<br/><br/>"You watch that garbage?" Sunstreaker asked.<br/><br/>"Don't you?"<br/><br/>"That's not the point," Sunstreaker spluttered. "It's the only thing on during the day and I was stuck recuperating a lot because of this stupid spark of mine."<br/><br/>Sideswipe laughed. "And the fact you're probably a closet romantic has nothing to do with it, huh?"<br/><br/>"Shut up." Sunstreaker's face burned. He felt called out, even if Sideswipe had admitted he watched it, too.<br/><br/>"No. Tell me more," Sideswipe said. "What else do you like to do?"<br/><br/>Sunstreaker settled into the chair, getting comfortable. He did need to talk to Starscream again. Maybe for the last time. And he absolutely would.<br/><br/>But for now, he could get to know his brother.<br/><br/></p><p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Starscream sat in silence for a long time after Sunstreaker left.<br/><br/>It was the first time Sunstreaker had ever been the one to leave. It was always Starscream who stormed out in some huff or another, seeking refuge elsewhere, leaving Sunstreaker to stew in the room he so rarely shared until Starscream came along.<br/><br/>No, it wasn't silence. There was music playing. Sunstreaker had been listening to the radio, to Starscream's favorite station.<br/><br/>His spark gave a sharp pang.<br/><br/>It was for the best, wasn't it? Sunstreaker could leave with his brother. He'd be healthy and whole. He'd have his family. Starscream didn't need to be a part of that.<br/><br/>He just wanted to be.<br/><br/>Why couldn't Sunstreaker see that? Of course Starscream wouldn't ask him to stay. This place wasn't good for Sunstreaker. He'd get much better care elsewhere. Starscream wanted him to go because he cared, not because he didn't.<br/><br/>Starscream's engine growled. His head ached. His spark hurt.<br/><br/>He couldn’t stay in this room right now. He was supposed to be the one allowed to storm off and seek privacy, not Sunstreaker. It felt wrong to be the one stuck here now.<br/><br/>Starscream left. He didn’t know where to go. He didn’t want to seek out Rodimus; he already knew what his protege would say.<br/><br/>The hallway was empty and deserted. It was late. Late enough all the patrons had gone, save for those paying for an overnight in one of the upper, elite rooms. Most of the escorts were tucked away in their berths.<br/><br/>Starscream took the lift downstairs for lack of a better option. Perhaps he could soak away the anxiety in the oil bath which would be deserted right now. But when the door opened on the bottom floor, he nearly ran into another mech on his way inside.<br/><br/>Drift and Starscream blinked at each other, Drift’s arms laden with various supplies no doubt pilfered from the energon pantry and Wrench’s repair cabinet. How he’d gotten those items past Wrench was a mystery. Or maybe he’d charmed Wrench into being given them, and if he had, Starscream wanted to know his secret.<br/><br/>“What are you doing?” Starscream asked at the same time Drift said, “Why aren’t you recharging?”<br/><br/>Starscream stepped off the lift so the door could close, preventing Drift from getting on it. “I asked you first.” He folded his arms, arching an orbital ridge. “Thinking of taking off in the middle of the night?”<br/><br/>Drift scowled. “This is for Roddy.”<br/><br/>Starscream stared at the supplies again. Numbing agents, paint fillers, Rodimus’ favorite energon and candies. There was a mixture of healing and spoiling in here.<br/><br/>His engine revved. “What did you do, Drift?”<br/><br/>“It wasn’t me.” Drift took a step backward, then seemed to decide he wasn’t afraid before he straightened his shoulders and stared right back at Starscream. “Rodimus’ last client got a little rowdy. I took care of the fragger, but Roddy still got a little banged up.”<br/><br/>Starscream whirled and slammed his hand on the lift buttons, summoning it once more. “And he didn’t ping me? Why?”<br/><br/>“He said you and Sunstreaker were in the middle of something, and I shouldn’t disturb you. Believe me, I wanted to.” Drift’s armor flickered in a quiet clatter. “He insisted, and I owe him too much to ignore his wishes.”<br/><br/>The lift dinged and Starscream stepped inside, dragging Drift and his armful of supplies with him. “This is one of those times where you shouldn’t have listened to him, stupid rookie.” Starscream jabbed the button for Rodimus’ floor. “Or at least you should’ve taken him to Wrench.”<br/><br/>Drift stepped up and selected the basement instead – he must have taken Rodimus back to his room instead. “I’ll remember that for next time.”<br/><br/>Next time.<br/><br/>Starscream’s insides went a little cold. It was an unfortunate reality of their employment here at Blue Sun. Yes, they had protections, but they were always after the fact, rarely were they preventatives. An escort faced injury or serious harm everyday. Some might argue they were well-compensated.<br/><br/>Starscream knew otherwise.<br/><br/>Guilt crept its way into his spark. He’d considered Nightshade’s offer as it pertained to Sunstreaker, but he hadn’t thought about Rodimus. Could he really leave his protege alone? Without any protections? If Starscream wasn’t here, Nightshade would be unlikely to visit, and Streamline wouldn’t feel the heavy optic of the law on him.<br/><br/>He might decide to punish Rodimus for his loss of revenue in regards to Turmoil.<br/><br/>Starscream couldn’t leave him to deal with that alone. Not with a clear conscience.<br/><br/>He followed Drift to the room the guard shared with another mech who was mysteriously absent – either out for a night on the city or on patrol outside the building. The room was tidier than Starscream would have expected, save for what was obviously Drift’s berth, where Rodimus swaddled himself into a nest.<br/><br/>He perked up when Drift came inside, but scowled when he spotted Starscream. “I told you not to comm him,” Rodimus said.<br/><br/>“He didn’t. We ran into each other,” Starscream said, placing a hand on Drift’s shoulder to stop him from retorting. “Who was it and what did they do?”<br/><br/>“I’m fine.” Rodimus rolled his optics. “You’re supposed to be with Sunstreaker, figuring out whatever it is that’s going on between you.”<br/><br/>Starscream ignored him and grabbed a corner of the mesh blanket. “Let me see.”<br/><br/>“No.” Rodimus tugged the blanket back around him.<br/><br/>“Don’t be a sparkling,” Starscream growled. He tugged again.<br/><br/>“Go back to Sunstreaker,” Rodimus snapped.<br/><br/>“You both are acting like sparklings,” Drift said as he deposited his armful on a table and moved between them, shoving a box of treats at Rodimus. “Show him, Roddy.”<br/><br/>“Fine.” Rodimus took the treats and tore open the box, immediately shoving a handful in his mouth. “It’s just a few scratches. I was going to see if Sunstreaker was up to fixing them in the morning, but if you’re here, I’m guessing he won’t be. What happened?”<br/><br/>Starscream didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled away the blankets, threw them aside, and took a look at Rodimus for himself. Scrapes. Dents. A swollen lip.<br/><br/>Anger broiled in Starscream’s tanks, but he swallowed it down. There were dents on Rodimus’ hips, too, and the placement was familiar. It had to have been Perforate, banned time and time again, but too rich to stay banned for long. Mechs like Rodimus were his favorite: loud, flashy, pretty.<br/><br/>Perforate also favored new faces, and Rodimus would still be new to someone like him, who must have recently returned from his ban. Fragger. If this was Starscream’s business, Perforate would have never stepped foot in here again.<br/><br/>How could he even think of leaving Rodimus alone with this?<br/><br/>“Give me the repair kit.” Starscream sank onto the berth next to Rodimus, pulling a dented arm into his lap with guilt suffocating his spark.<br/><br/>Perforate had squeezed hard enough to leave a mark, but not so hard to limit Rodimus’ motion or break an ulnar strut. He always knew how to toe the line and billed his more egregious harms as “accidents”.<br/><br/>“Sure.” Drift handed it over and loitered in the background unobtrusively.<br/><br/>Rodimus sighed. “Great. You’re making me a project again so you can ignore this thing between you and Sunny.” He shoved another handful of candies into his mouth and spoke around them. “And you think <em>I’m</em> the one who needs looking after.”<br/><br/>“There’s nothing going on,” Starscream lied.<br/><br/>Drift snorted and dropped into a nearby chair with a comfortable slouch. “I know I haven’t been around as long, but your field is a chaotic mess, and the only one who inspires that much in you is Sunstreaker.”<br/><br/>“Don’t you trust me?” Rodimus asked. And it’s unfair how he made his voice small and hurt, his optics big and round and guileless, his hand gentle where it touched Starscream’s arm.<br/><br/>Manipulative brat.<br/><br/>Starscream vented and concentrated on Rodimus’ injuries so as not to look at either of the two mechs. “It’s complicated.”<br/><br/>“It’s always complicated when it comes to you two. So what is it this time?” Rodimus asked with a tap to Starscream’s wrist. “Did one of you finally confess?”<br/><br/>“In a way.” Starscream smoothed over the worst of the dent and reached for the filler. “I don’t even know where to start.”<br/><br/>“It probably has to do with Sideswipe, huh?”<br/><br/>Starscream looked up at Rodimus and blinked. “You know about that?”<br/><br/>“Kind of?” Rodimus shrugged and shoved another handful of candies into his mouth. “You know how this place is. The only thing that travels faster than rumor is the clap. I heard Sideswipe tried to buy Sunstreaker.”<br/><br/>Starscream frowned. “I can see how it might have been interpreted in that manner, but no. Sideswipe did not try to buy Sunstreaker. He’s Sunstreaker’s long lost twin.”<br/><br/>Rodimus cycled his optics. “Come again?”<br/><br/>“You heard me.” Starscream gave him a wry look. “And yes, I know. It sounds like a lurid romance novel the likes of which you both are fond of reading, but two medics confirm it -- including Wrench. They are split-spark twins.”<br/><br/>Rodimus whistled. “And Sideswipe is rich, too. Like stupid rich. I’ll bet he wants Sunstreaker to come home, right?”<br/><br/>“Wouldn’t you?” Drift asked.<br/><br/>“Well, yeah. But what does Sunny think about it?” Rodimus asked.<br/><br/>“He hasn’t decided.” Starscream finished the filler, setting it aside. Sunstreaker would have to fix Rodimus’ paint. He settled for idly massaging Rodimus’ cables, which had to be sore. “I told him he should go.”<br/><br/>“Of course you did.” Rodimus groaned and gently banged his head on the wall. He covered his optics with his free hand. “Primus, I just want to knock your heads together.”<br/><br/>Starscream glared. “I’m not going to ask him to stay here. That’s stupid. He needs to be with his twin, where he can be taken care of.”<br/><br/>“You know, nothing’s stopping you from going with him,” Drift pointed out.<br/><br/>Starscream flicked his wings. “I’m not going to invite myself where I’m not wanted.”<br/><br/>“You’re an idiot if you think you’re not wanted.” Rodimus poked him in the forehead and scampered out of the way before Starscream could retaliate. Clearly, he was feeling much better. “Did you think you were going to tell him to leave and he’d do it with a smile knowing you’re still here?”<br/><br/>Starscream sat back, folding his legs beneath him. “I wasn’t going to stay either,” he said quietly and dragged his palm down his face. “Nightshade offered a Contract. I was going to take it but now… I can’t.”<br/><br/>“Why not?” Drift asked.<br/><br/>“Obviously because I can’t leave Rodimus by himself,” Starscream snapped, gesturing to Rodimus and his injuries with a sharp flick of his wrist. “If I leave, and I take Nightshade’s patronage, what little protection Rodimus has from Turmoil’s wrath goes with me.”<br/><br/>Rodimus tiptoed back into reach, settling down with a faint wince. “Don’t I get a say in what I want?”<br/><br/>“Of course you do,” Drift was quick to say, and he shot Starscream a look before he continued, “I think Starscream is just worried about you.”<br/><br/>Rodimus snorted. “Well, he doesn’t have to be. Neither of you do,” he added with a point to each of them. “I can take care of myself. I have patrons now. I have income and since you’re still determined to give me half your pay, I’m making strides in what I owe.”<br/><br/>“You deserve more than half,” Drift muttered.<br/><br/>“We already had this talk, shut up,” Rodimus shot back before he looked at Starscream. “Stop worrying about me. What do you want to do? Be with Sunstreaker, right?”<br/><br/>“It’s not that--”<br/><br/>“Don’t give me that pitslag,” Rodimus interrupted with such a strong tone, Starscream was taken aback.<br/><br/>Rodimus set his jaw, drawing himself straight, every inch the Dom-in-training Sunstreaker was making him. “You love Sunstreaker. Don’t lie and tell me you don’t because that’s a waste of a good vent. You love him; he loves you. So fragging tell him already.”<br/><br/>“You miss every chance you don’t take,” Drift added, and pain flickered into his face before he smoothed it out. “Don’t do something you’re going to regret for the rest of your functioning. We live too long for that.”<br/><br/>He knew Rodimus was right.<br/><br/>He wanted Sunstreaker to go only because it would mean happiness and health for Sunstreaker. He wanted both for Sunstreaker more than anything. Even if that meant he couldn’t be in Sunstreaker’s life.<br/><br/>“Come on. Let me see at least one happy ending, please?” Rodimus said. “You two have done so much for me. I want to see you finally get together.”<br/><br/>Starscream rubbed his forehead. “I know you’re right,” he admitted, albeit grudgingly.<br/><br/>“Of course I am.” Rodimus held himself up straight, luxuriating in his earned cockiness. “So get out of here. I’m fine. I’ve got Drift. You need to find Sunny and set things straight.” He even had the audacity to flick his hands at Starscream. “Shoo.”<br/><br/>“Fine.” Starscream stood and leaned in toward Rodimus, planting a kiss on his forehead. “Call me if you need me.”<br/><br/>“I won’t,” Rodimus said, but that didn’t stop him from snagging the back of Starscream’s head and tugging him back close enough for a real kiss, the naughty tease. “Go get him, Star. Make him yours.”<br/><br/>“I will,” Starscream murmured. “I promise.”<br/><br/>Rodimus grinned and patted his cheek. “Good boy.”<br/><br/></p><p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~</p>
</div><p><br/><br/>In the end, Sunstreaker returned to his suite. He had nowhere else to go, and Sideswipe’s reassurances had gone far to calm him. Whatever else happened with Starscream, he had a brother now, and a home.<br/><br/>Sideswipe was right. He couldn’t leave until he was sure, otherwise he’d spend the rest of his life wondering ‘what if’.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker paused outside his own door and hesitated. He didn’t know what awaited him on the other side. He wasn’t a coward, however. He could face whatever lay in store for he and Starscream.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker sucked in a slow, steadying vent and keyed open the door. The soft whiff of incense floated to his nose, and his forehead furrowed. Was Rodimus here with Drift? It wouldn’t be the first time.<br/><br/>He stepped inside, to a room gently lit from various lamps rather than the overhead. Soft music played from Starscream’s stereo as though he’d never turned it off.<br/><br/>This was not quite what Sunstreaker expected.<br/><br/>Starscream was curled in the window nook, but he looked up as Sunstreaker entered, setting aside the datapad which had held his focus.<br/><br/>“Welcome back,” he said. There was no trace of anger in his face, in the jut of his wings, just a sort of wariness, which Sunstreaker could understand. He held it, too.<br/><br/>“We need to talk,” Sunstreaker said, and then flinched, because that came out harsher than he meant. “I mean actually talk. About the things we need to say.”<br/><br/>Starscream pressed his lips together and nodded before he shifted, making room for Sunstreaker to join him in the windowseat. “We’re not good at that, but we should try.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker sat down, glancing briefly out the window at the dark of simulated night, streets emptier than the day cycle but the occasional wanderer still visible. Distant roils on the horizon suggested they were in for an acid storm. Business would be down, which meant Streamline would have everyone cleaning.<br/><br/>A boring day. No one would miss either he or Starscream if they decided to take a rest.<br/><br/>“How’s Rodimus?” Sunstreaker asked.<br/><br/>Starscream chuckled. “You know me so well.” His optics looked a little haunted, his lips easing out of the smile. “Streamline let Perforate come back.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker flinched. “How bad?”<br/><br/>“Security stepped in, probably because Drift keeps such a close optic on Roddy. Superficial damage on the outside but…” Starscream lifted a helpless shoulder. “That’s the life we lead.”<br/><br/>“It doesn’t have to be. Not anymore,” Sunstreaker said, his spark starting to throb hard as the enormity of what he was about to do sent pulses of anxiety through his lines. “We can leave. Both of us.”<br/><br/>Starscream gave him a wry look. “Haven’t we had that conversation before?”<br/><br/>“No, we never actually talked about it. Besides, circumstances have changed.”<br/><br/>“Yeah, you have a rich twin now.” Starscream shifted, his hand inching close, like he wanted to bridge the distance but didn’t dare.<br/><br/>Touching each other used to be a matter of course. Now it felt like a tentative thing neither of them were sure of. Sunstreaker hated that, hated they’d come to this.<br/><br/>Sideswipe was right. He had to be sure. He couldn’t be left wondering if there was anything to salvage or not.<br/><br/>“And I have creds of my own. Or will anyway. Soon as the paperwork comes through.” Sunstreaker shrugged, trying to play off the enormity of what Sideswipe was doing for him. “You’re right. I should go.”<br/><br/>Starscream’s mouth lifted in a half-smile, his wings drooping. “Glad you see things my way, though I think it’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say I was right.”<br/><br/>“I want you to come with me,” Sunstreaker said, and he swore he could hear his spark pulsing in his audials, so fast was it spinning. “I want to go, but I don’t want to go without you.”<br/><br/>Starscream sighed where Sunstreaker expected a flicker of anger. “That’s kind of you, but I really can take care of myself. You don’t have to take pity on me.”<br/><br/>“It’s not pity, you idiot.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker grabbed his hand, Starscream’s hesitation bedamned, and Starscream’s optics widened by fractals, his true reaction betrayed by the upwards flick of his wings, the flare of his armor.<br/><br/>“I love you,” Sunstreaker said, and it was the scariest thing he’d ever done, admitting this truth he’d been harboring so deep in his spark. “I love you, and I want to be with you. If you don’t want that, fine, but I’m saying it now.”<br/><br/>Starscream’s vents hitched. “If I don’t want that?” he repeated faintly. His hand squeezed Sunstreaker’s tightly, enough for metal to creak. “Who’s the idiot now? Has all that polish damaged your processor? I love you, too!”<br/><br/>“You’re the one trying your damndest to push me away, how was I supposed to know?” Sunstreaker demanded.<br/><br/>“For your own sake, not because I didn’t want you!” Starscream snapped as he tugged Sunstreaker closer, curling his free hand around the back of Sunstreaker’s neck. “I’d have gone with Nightshade the moment he asked if I didn’t love you so much!”<br/><br/>“You should have gone!” Sunstreaker spluttered, emotions zipping within him too fact for him to nail down a single one. “You deserve so much more than this place.”<br/><br/>“So do you!”<br/><br/>“Then why the frag are we even arguing!?”<br/><br/>Starscream growled, his fingers digging into the back of Sunstreaker’s neck. “Because you’re too damn stubborn,” he snarled and dragged Sunstreaker in for a kiss, their mouths smacking together without any grace.<br/><br/>Sunstreaker grabbed Starscream’s face, cradling it in both hands, keeping him close as he deepened the kiss, pouring all of his emotions and frustrations and relief into the press of their mouths, the clash of their energy fields.<br/><br/>“I’m leaving, and you’re coming with me,” Sunstreaker said as he pressed his forehead to Starscream’s, leaving no room for argument. “You’ve worked hard. Let me help you now.”<br/><br/>Indecision wavered in Starscream’s field – pride and guilt warring – before relief won out. “Fine,” he said, though it was grudging. “If you think Sideswipe won’t mind.”<br/><br/>“It’s not up to him. It’s up to me.” Sunstreaker held Starscream’s face, thumb sweeping over his cheeks. “We can live on our own, if you want but…”<br/><br/>“But you want to get to know your brother,” Starscream finished, and it was with a fond smile this time. “Fine. We’ll leave with him as long as we have the option to leave, it works for me.”<br/><br/>Relief flooded Sunstreaker’s frame. He sagged a little and rested his forehead on Starscream’s clavicular strut. “I didn’t want to go without you.”<br/><br/>“I didn’t want you to go either, but that was the selfishness in me.” Starscream stroked the nape of his neck, his shoulders, tracing familiar transformation seams. “I’m worried though.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker sat back, cocking his head. “About what?”<br/><br/>“Rodimus.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker frowned.<br/><br/>To be fair, he worried about the brat, too. He’d grown attached to Rodimus, and if he and Starscream were both gone, there’d be no one to look after him. Drift didn’t count. He had no sway with Streamline, who owned Rodimus’ debt and could use that to his advantage. It was no secret he held little fondness for Rodimus.<br/><br/>“He told me not to worry about him. He wants me to leave with you, but…” Starscream gnawed on his bottom lip, wings drifting back down again. “I feel responsible for him now. I don’t want to leave him here.”<br/><br/>The answer was so obvious Sunstreaker didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to him before.<br/><br/>“Then we take him with us,” he said with a shrug. Besides, wouldn’t it be the best vengeance against Streamline? All three of them leaving at once?<br/><br/>Primus, Sunstreaker couldn’t wait to see the look on his face.<br/><br/>Starscream cycled his optics. “What? Are you serious?”<br/><br/>“Do you have any idea how rich Sideswipe is?” Sunstreaker asked, because just thinking about it gave himself spark palpitations. Sideswipe was obscenely wealthy. “And half of it is mine now. I could pay off Rodimus’ debt.”<br/><br/>“He’d be all right with that?”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker settled into the window and pulled Starscream into his arms. It felt like it’d been too long since he’d held his Seeker, and he wanted Starscream right here, within reach.<br/><br/>“If he isn’t, we can go live elsewhere.” Sunstreaker, however, had the feeling Sideswipe wouldn’t mind one bit. The more the merrier, he suspected his newfound brother would say. And he’d sent pictures of the estate earlier.<br/><br/>There was more than enough room for Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Starscream and Rodimus to live there. Frag, it was so large, they could all four live there and probably never see one another if they didn’t want to.<br/><br/>“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?” Starscream asked, but he sounded more amused than petulant. “I love that about you as much as I hate it.”<br/><br/>Sunstreaker snorted a laugh and nuzzled his Seeker. “Is that a yes?”<br/><br/>“It’s a yes.” Starscream’s field settled over his, warm and affectionate and relieved. “I want to be with you. We can figure out the rest as we go.”<br/><br/>And there was a lot to figure out. Discussions to have. Things to arrange.<br/><br/>Right now, Sunstreaker didn’t worry about any of it. He only wanted to hold his Seeker and marvel at a world which finally allowed them to be together.<br/><br/>They’d worry about the rest tomorrow.<br/><br/>Together.<br/><br/></p><p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="entry-content">
  <p>It took Sunstreaker using his firmer voice to get Sideswipe to calm down and not immediately rush to Blue Sun to retrieve them.</p>
  <p>“You can wait a couple of days. We have things to handle before we can leave,” Sunstreaker said as he sorted through the items in his closet. He’d accumulated quite a lot over the decades.</p>
  <p>He’d made three piles: things to give to the others, things to trash, and things to take with him. The last pile was much larger than it needed to be, but the urge to hold on to things he might need in the future was hard to defeat.</p>
  <p>“I can help. Make it go by faster,” Sideswipe said, and his excitement was palpable. Infectious even. Sunstreaker smiled despite himself. “Streamline’s not giving you trouble, is he?”</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker chuckled quietly. “No. I’ve let Starscream handle him.” It was a task the Seeker relished. He’d been wanting to tell Streamline off from the moment he’d been hired here.</p>
  <p>“Fine. But just say the word and I’ll send an army of lawyers over there to make sure Streamline gets his aft in gear,” Sideswipe said.</p>
  <p>It was kind of nice to have someone care that much.</p>
  <p>“You’re still fine with me bringing others?” Sunstreaker asked.</p>
  <p>Sideswipe chuffed a vent, and Sunstreaker could all but see him rolling his optics. “I have more than enough space. Of course I want you to bring Starscream.”</p>
  <p>“And Rodimus?”</p>
  <p>“The more the merrier.” Sideswipe laughed and the sound of datapads shuffling and the low murmur of conversation rose in the background. Sunstreaker had caught him in a meeting, but Sideswipe had put the whole thing on pause just for him.</p>
  <p>It was very sweet.</p>
  <p>“He’s the cute red one, right? I think I was eyeing him once,” Sideswipe mused aloud.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker snorted. “He’s a brat.” He paused and tilted his head. “Which means you two ought to get along just fine.”</p>
  <p>“Hey! I resemble that remark.”</p>
  <p>“Yes, you do.” Sunstreaker laughed and debated his pile of polishing cloths. Most of them were trash-worthy. “Now I have to finish packing, and you need to go back to that meeting before there’s a mutiny.”</p>
  <p>Sideswipe grumbled something sub-vocally before he said, “Sir, yes, sir, big brother, sir. Right away.”</p>
  <p>“Brat.”</p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="center">
    <p>~</p>
  </div>
  <p>Of all the conversations Starscream needed to have today, he was quite sure this was going to be the easiest.</p>
  <p>He strode into Streamline’s office without knocking – the door was open, so he was hardly being rude. Streamline sat behind his desk, reviewing a datapad, idly tapping the end of a stylus against the desk. Given it was nearing the end of the lunar cycle, he was probably working on the cycle’s balances.</p>
  <p>It had been a slow month. Business was picking up in the wake of Turmoil’s arrest, but likely too slow for Streamline’s preferences.</p>
  <p>And Starscream was about to share the very good news that three of Streamline’s best sellers were going to walk out the door.</p>
  <p>He could barely hide the smirk on his face.</p>
  <p>“What do you want, Starscream? I’m busy,” Streamline asked without looking up from his datapad. He made a notation, frowned, and glanced at his monitor.</p>
  <p>Starscream planted his hands on his hips. “I quit.”</p>
  <p>Streamline stilled. He looked up, very slowly, optics narrowed. “What on Cybertron are you talking about?”</p>
  <p>“I quit,” Starscream repeated, and grinned, his wings flicking upright. “For that matter, Sunstreaker and Rodimus quit, too. We’re packing our bags, and we’ll be out of here in less than two days.”</p>
  <p>The stylus tumbled from Streamline’s fingers. “You can’t do that!” he growled. “Rodimus, especially, can’t skip out on his debt.”</p>
  <p>Starscream tilted his head. “Oh, that? I suspect Compute is going to come by any moment now to inform you of a rather massive transfer that should cover all of Rodimus’ debt, and maybe a little extra for the trouble.”</p>
  <p>“You all three have an employment contract with me,” Streamline growled, and he rose to his feet, hands flat on his desk as he glared at Starscream.</p>
  <p>Starscream folded his arms and arched an orbital ridge. “Oh, the contract you made us sign which is sketchy at best, and illegal to really prominent lawyers at worst? I’m sure Sideswipe would be happy to take a look at those for us.”</p>
  <p>Color drained from Streamline’s face before it flared crimson with the rage matching his field. “That explains it,” he growled. “He’s buying all three of you. That arrogant, selfish little--”</p>
  <p>“I’d watch what you say, if I were you,” Starscream said in a mild tone, though it was hard to quiet his glee. “I have no qualms about repeating this conversation.”</p>
  <p>“Of course you don’t.” Streamline sneered and dropped back into the chair, a mech defeated, though his glare was outright poisonous. “After all I’ve done for you--”</p>
  <p>“Frag off with that,” Starscream snapped, refusing to let Streamline finish the sentence. “You’ve done less than the bare minimum. You didn’t give any of us a chance. You took advantage of our desperation. I’m not going to shed a tear for you or whatever happens to this place.”</p>
  <p>Streamline picked up his stylus, gripping it hard. “You’re enjoying this.”</p>
  <p>“Damn right I am.” Starscream grinned and chuckled, perhaps a bit too dark, but he intended to relish every moment of this. “Maybe next time you’ll think twice about making deals with criminals and start treating your employees better, hm?”</p>
  <p>“Get out of my office.”</p>
  <p>Starscream wriggled his fingers. “Bye, Streamline. Good luck in the future!”</p>
  <p>He sauntered out the door with a sway to his hips and satisfaction pumping through his spark. He hummed subvocally, making his jaunty way to the lift, only to pass Compute along the way, rushing to Streamline’s office with cred signs dancing in his optics.</p>
  <p>Perfect timing.</p>
  <p>What a beautiful day it was.</p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="center">
    <p>~</p>
  </div>
  <p>“I’m going to miss ya, Sunny. No one ever came and saw me quite as much as you did,” Wrench said as he signed off on a datapad before handing it over. “Give this to whoever takes on your medical care. It’s all my notes.”</p>
  <p>“You could come, you know. I can afford to pay you whatever you want,” Sunstreaker said. He tucked the datapad away, though it felt so small considering how much of his life it represented.</p>
  <p>Wrench chuckled and focused instead on organizing his repair chest. “Now if I did that, who’d look after all the idiots getting hurt here? Someone’s gotta keep their best interests at spark, since it sure ain’t our boss.”</p>
  <p>That was unfortunately true.</p>
  <p>“Anything I can do to help?” Sunstreaker asked.</p>
  <p>Wrench paused and thumbed his chin. “Not right now, I don’t think. I’m pretty well stocked, but how about if that changes, I give you a ping, huh?”</p>
  <p>“Gladly.” It seemed the least he could do given all Wrench had done for him. The medic was the first mech he’d ever trusted, and the first mech who ever seemed to give a damn about Sunstreaker’s well-being.</p>
  <p>“Proud of you, by the way,” Wrench said as he pulled down a box, peered in it, and then put it back. “Didn’t think you two would ever get your act together.”</p>
  <p>“We almost didn’t.”</p>
  <p>Wrench hummed. “Sometimes, we just need a push.”</p>
  <p>“Never thought it would come in the form of a long-lost twin though.”</p>
  <p>Wrench chuckled and gave him a look. “That’s a new one, I admit. Happy for you though. Sideswipe seems like a good mech.”</p>
  <p>“It’s easy to tell when your spark is already sure.” Sunstreaker rubbed his chassis, a soft smile curling his lips. He felt so energized lately, and knew meeting Sideswipe was as much to thank as finally admitting his love for Starscream.</p>
  <p>“I suppose.” Wrench grinned at him. “Just don’t forget about ole Wrench here, huh? Let me know you’re doing okay now and then. Settle this poor spark of mine.”</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker smiled. “Will do.”</p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="center">
    <p>~</p>
  </div>
  <p>“Wow.”</p>
  <p>Rodimus walked into Sunstreaker and Starscream’s shared room and loosed a small whistle. It scarcely resembled the suite so familiar to him, with stacks of crates loosely assembled across the floor, and the walls empty of decoration.</p>
  <p>“You two move fast,” he said as he peered into the nearest box, which looked to be a collection of half-used bottles of oils and paints and polishes and all sorts of menagerie needed for the successful escort.</p>
  <p>“Sideswipe is impatient,” Sunstreaker said as he emerged from the adjoining washrack with an armful of mesh cloths. These joined the box of half-used toiletries. “Thanks for coming.”</p>
  <p>Rodimus shrugged and peered around. “You call; I come. Where’s Starscream?”</p>
  <p>“Making numerous comm calls to all of his clients, I think.” Sunstreaker rolled his shoulders before squeezing the back of his neck. “Probably putting off calling Nightshade as long as possible.”</p>
  <p>“Oh.” Rodimus turned in another slow circle. “Should I wait…?”</p>
  <p>“Why would you? I’m the one who called you up here.” Sunstreaker gave him one of those patented looks that said Rodimus was an idiot without using the words. “Got a proposal for you, rookie.”</p>
  <p>Excitement flicked Rodimus’ spoiler. “Are you giving me this suite?” he asked, giddy. This room actually had a view! He had no idea who he’d let be his roommate, but he’d put up with any number of mechs for a view and a private washrack.</p>
  <p>Sunstreaker quietly chuckled. “No, that’s up to Streamline. This is better.”</p>
  <p>“I don’t think I can take over your clients. They have expectations,” Rodimus said. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I mean, I could, don’t get me wrong. Hmm. Maybe I should give it a try.”</p>
  <p>“Not that either.” Sunstreaker shook his head and sat on the edge of his berth, his expression shifting to something serious. “We want you to come with us.”</p>
  <p>Rodimus cycled his optics, then his audials. “Say what?”</p>
  <p>“I’m going to pay your debt to Streamline regardless,” Sunstreaker said. “You can do whatever you want, but the invitation to come with us is there.”</p>
  <p>Rodimus blindly groped for a chair and sank into it, his legs refusing to support his weight. “I don’t understand. Why would you do that? How…?”</p>
  <p>“Sideswipe’s rich, and we don’t want to leave you behind,” Sunstreaker said with a one-shoulder shrug. “Star will be too worried about you to relax, and we all know how vindictive Streamline can get.”</p>
  <p>Rodimus’ head spun. He had at least a decade of good, solid work before he could think about the ‘after’. Freedom was a distant concept to him. He had no idea what he’d do with it. He certainly never expected it to come from Sunstreaker either, who had only ever seemed to tolerate him at best.</p>
  <p>“That’s…” He groped for words and found himself at a loss for them. “I don’t know what to say.”</p>
  <p>“Say you’ll come. Say thank you. Say you’re happy.” Sunstreaker gave him a small smile, and there was a light in his optics, a joy Rodimus was unaccustomed to seeing from the usually stoic mech. “Or don’t say anything and go pack.”</p>
  <p>It was so unbelievable, and yet it was real. It was Sunstreaker sitting in front of him making this offer, which made it seem even more legitimate.</p>
  <p>Rodimus stood up, his spark swelling with disbelief and joy. “I’m going to go pack,” he said. It wouldn’t take him long. He didn’t own much. “When do we leave?”</p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="center">
    <p>~</p>
  </div>
  <p>Starscream sat for a long time contemplating the comm chip in his possession before he finally slotted it into place and dialed.</p>
  <p>Nightshade, of course, picked up immediately, as if he’d been waiting for Starscream to call. “Hello, sweetspark. How are you?”</p>
  <p>Starscream’s wings fluttered, warmth flooding through his spark. “I’m well, Nightshade. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time?”</p>
  <p>“Nothing I’m unhappy to delay.” Nightshade chuckled softly. “I don’t want to presume, but are you calling me about the offer?”</p>
  <p>Right down to business then.</p>
  <p>Starscream cycled a slow ventilation. “Yes, it is.”</p>
  <p>“I can already tell by your vocals, I am not going to be as delighted as I thought,” Nightshade said, though there was no anger in his tone, only disappointment.</p>
  <p>“You know me so well.” Starscream peered out the window, his wings twitching as he thought of how much freedom to fly he would now have. “Another time, perhaps, and I’d have accepted your offer, but there’s someone I can’t leave.”</p>
  <p>“Sunstreaker, I presume?”</p>
  <p>Starscream smiled, his spark throbbing at the mere mention of his roommate and lover. “Yes. We’re leaving Blue Sun together.”</p>
  <p>“That’s wonderful, Starscream. Truly, I’m happy for you.” Nightshade gave a soft sigh into the comm. “I won’t say I’m not disappointed because I’ve grown fond of you, but I’m not one to stand in the way either. You belong together.”</p>
  <p>Starscream hummed. “Thank you.”</p>
  <p>“You sound happy, and I’m glad to hear it,” Nightshade said, and there was a smile in his voice. “Though if you ever wish to go freelance, you do have my comm. There’s no one in Blue Sun who quite understands my desires like you.”</p>
  <p>Starscream chuckled warmly. “Well, I am still available, just not through Blue Sun. Once we get settled, I’ll let you know where to find me.”</p>
  <p>“Sunstreaker won’t mind?”</p>
  <p>Well.</p>
  <p>He might a little, but it wasn’t his choice to make. It wasn’t that Sunstreaker didn’t want Starscream to take clients on his choice, it was that Sunstreaker was still sore with Nightshade over what happened with Turmoil.</p>
  <p>“He knows I have my favorites,” Starscream said. “And that he has my spark where it matters.”</p>
  <p>“Indeed he does. For quite a long while, if my observations are at all accurate.” Nightshade laughed softly. “Which I’m sure they are. I have a reputation to uphold, after all.”</p>
  <p>Starscream huffed a laugh. “Very true.” He cycled a ventilation and sobered. “Thank you, Nightshade. For everything.”</p>
  <p>“I did very little in the end, but I understand the sentiment.” Nightshade’s voice was warm, if not a little affectionate. “Be well, Starscream, but most of all, be happy.”</p>
  <p>“I will.”</p>
  <p>These days, it was a much easier promise to make.</p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="center">
    <p>~</p>
  </div>
  <p>Sideswipe had sent a transport for them. An honest-to-Primus, non-automated transport with an extra pair of hands to load the storage space while Sunstreaker and Starscream and Rodimus didn’t have to lift a finger.</p>
  <p>Or at least, Starscream and Rodimus didn’t. They sat in the lounge, sipping on spiced energon and sharing a plate of treats, while Sunstreaker directed traffic, a leader in his element of bossing everyone around.</p>
  <p>“Be careful with that box,” Sunstreaker barked, and with his gleaming paint, and the air of health around him, he was a sight to behold.</p>
  <p>Rodimus chuckled. “He embraced his wealth quick, didn’t he?”</p>
  <p>Starscream grinned. “He’s always been a diva. Don’t be fooled by his sour disposition.” He snagged a chewy treat and gnawed on it thoughtfully. “Something tells me he’s going to have the whole manor under his thumb in a week.”</p>
  <p>“Sideswipe won’t mind?”</p>
  <p>“I suspect he’ll welcome it.”</p>
  <p>They shared a little laugh. It was easy enough, even, to ignore Streamline glaring at them from the corner. They’d had the courtesy to do this before Blue Sun opened, but onlookers still gathered, including many escorts who stared agape as two of Blue Sun’s highest earners made their leave. Oh, and took Rodimus with them.</p>
  <p>“You think you’re going to miss it here?” Rodimus asked.</p>
  <p>Starscream furrowed his brow. “I’d like to say no, but I spent too long here for that to be true.” He brushed some crumbs from his cockpit. “I met Sunstreaker here. I met Nightshade and Blurr and Bluestreak and you. It wasn’t a terrible life.”</p>
  <p>“Yeah. I feel the same way.” Rodimus gulped the spiced energon like he hadn’t been taught any manners and swiped the back of his hand over his mouth. “I mean, okay, so I didn’t come here entirely by choice, but Turmoil’s been arrested, and I got closure with Deadlock, and I met you guys, so it’s not so bad after all.”</p>
  <p>“Speaking of…” Starscream tilted his head, gesturing toward the guard hovering in the background, his face a mask of emotion, but one Rodimus had learned to read in the past few weeks.</p>
  <p>Oh.</p>
  <p>He should take care of that.</p>
  <p>Rodimus set down the empty cube and stood, dusting off his hands. “Don’t leave without me.”</p>
  <p>“It’s up to Sunstreaker. You know how he gets,” Starscream said with a wink.</p>
  <p>Rodimus snorted and waved Starscream off, making straight for Drift who straightened as he approached, his face trying to assemble itself into a blank mask and failing miserably.</p>
  <p>“Come to see me off?” Rodimus asked, careful to keep his tone light.</p>
  <p>“Thought we should have a proper goodbye this time,” Drift said, and his lips curved in the faintest smile. “Got something for you.”</p>
  <p>He held out a datachip.</p>
  <p>Rodimus cocked his head and planted his hands on his hips. “Tell me that’s not another cut of your pay.”</p>
  <p>“Um.”</p>
  <p>Rodimus rolled his optics and took Drift’s hand, curling Drift’s fingers into a fist. “Don’t want it. Don’t need it. These two are going to spoil me rotten.” He appreciated the sentiment, however.</p>
  <p>Drift needed his guilt, so Rodimus let him keep it. He hadn’t so much forgiven Deadlock as much as he’d decided to let bygones remain in the past, to let go of his own anger so the weight of it wouldn’t drag him down. He wanted to look forward to a bright future, instead of carrying the burden of the past with him.</p>
  <p>Drift took the chip back and tucked it into one of his compartments. “I’m going to miss you,” he said instead of insisting, and Rodimus was glad he’d at least learned that lesson. Or maybe guilt made him more obedient.</p>
  <p>“You can come see me whenever you want. I won’t be hard to find,” Rodimus said. He’d seen stills of Sideswipe’s estate, and it was enormous. Palatial. His head still spun at the thought of living there.</p>
  <p>“I didn’t think I’d be welcome,” Drift said, which he probably had a point. Starscream was largely indifferent to Drift’s presence as he tended to follow Rodimus’ lead, but Sunstreaker was a bit more protective. While he’d been the first to push for them to reconcile, he kept a wary suspicion of Drift.</p>
  <p>Rodimus shrugged. “It’s my decision. Besides, if we need to meet elsewhere we can. It’s not like I’m a prisoner.”</p>
  <p>“As long as you’re happy.” Drift smiled, soft and careful. “I’m glad you’re getting out of here. You deserve so much more.”</p>
  <p>Rodimus scrubbed the back of his neck. “I dunno about deserving, but I’m not going to bite the hand that feeds. I’ll owe them a lot after this.” He looked at Starscream and Sunstreaker, the latter of whom had paused in his shouting to bend down and openly kiss Starscream. “They need looking after more than they realize.”</p>
  <p>“Bit of a role reversal, isn’t it?”</p>
  <p>Rodimus snorted. “Something like that.” He looked at Drift and held out his arms, wriggling his fingers. “One last hug for the road?”</p>
  <p>Drift came into his embrace, and Rodimus squeezed him tightly, hooking his chin over Drift’s shoulders and hearing his armor creak. Their field meshed, warm and affectionate, and it was almost hard to believe that once upon a time, Rodimus had loathed Deadlock with every strut and bolt in his frame.</p>
  <p>In the end, he supposed coming to Blue Sun was the best outcome for him after all.</p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="center">
    <p>***</p>
  </div>
</div><div class="metadata bottom-metadata">
  <p> </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sideswipe shifted his weight back and forth, straining to watch the long driveway up to the front of the manor within the estate. He’d received word that his new guests were on their way, but time passed far too slowly for his comfort.<br/><br/>Their rooms were prepared and ready, and had been since he’d first discovered Sunstreaker was his twin and the missing half of his spark. He’d then immediately prepared space for both Starscream and Rodimus. Frag, he’d take in the entire staff of Blue Sun if it meant Sunstreaker would come home to him.<br/><br/>Sideswipe couldn’t wait.<br/><br/>He’d had his chefs prepare a feast. He’d had the best treats flown in from all across Cybertron because he knew both Starscream and Rodimus liked them. He didn’t know how else to make them feel so welcome.<br/><br/>Ironhide stepped up beside him, his voice gruff and familiar. “Master Sideswipe, the transport approaches.”<br/><br/>“Finally!” Sideswipe threw his hands in the air and descended the long ramp. “Took them long enough.”<br/><br/>“Are ya sure ya don’t want me to assign security to watch over them?” Ironhide asked as he trailed a few steps behind Sideswipe, closer than might be considered proper for staff, but Ironhide was far more than staff. He was family. The only family Sideswipe had after the death of his caretakers.<br/><br/>Sideswipe rolled his optics. “You’re starting to sound like your mentor. I’m fine. They’re fine. Quit worrying.”<br/><br/>“If ya insist.”<br/><br/>“I do.”<br/><br/>Ironhide wasn’t the only member of Sideswipe’s staff to express reservations about the new residents, but at least he was polite about it. Sideswipe had already fired numerous guards and cleaning staff who thought it was their place to comment on the origins of the new guests. They were leftovers from Sideswipe’s parents anyway, and he’d only kept their employment contracts out of respect to them.<br/><br/>He wouldn’t mourn the loss of those employees. He’d find better ones.<br/><br/>The transport came into view and Sideswipe’s spark leapt and twirled with excitement, expanding in its casing as though it could sense Sunstreaker’s nearness. Sideswipe bounced on his heels, his lips pulling in a wide grin, as the transport came to a halt.<br/><br/>He waited, on bolts and brackets, for the doors to open, and the first familiar face to emerge. Gold armor gleamed in the light, and familiar blue optics met his gaze as a warm smile curved Sunstreaker’s lips.<br/><br/>“You’re here!” Sideswipe threw himself into Sunstreaker’s arms, more than pleased when Sunstreaker folded him into an embrace instead of scowling and shoving him away.<br/><br/>“You knew I would be,” Sunstreaker muttered, but his field was warm and pleased, and he squeezed Sideswipe enough to quietly admit how happy he was, too.<br/><br/>Sideswipe grinned and held the embrace until he felt Sunstreaker starting to twitch. He stepped back, freeing his twin, in time to see Starscream stepping out, his optics wide and his orbital ridges lifting as he took in the sight of the manor.<br/><br/>“Well, well, well. And here I thought you were exaggerating,” Starscream said with one corner of his mouth curved in a smirk. “Nice place you have, Sideswipe.”<br/><br/>“It’s yours now, too,” Sideswipe said and held out his arms. “Come on. We’re not strangers.” He wriggled his fingers pointedly.<br/><br/>Starscream rolled his optics, but stepped into the hug, pressing a genteel kiss to the curve of Sideswipe’s cheek. “Don’t think this means you’re getting a freebie.”<br/><br/>“Doesn’t it?” Sideswipe asked, cheekily. He craned his neck, peering over Starscream’s shoulder and past the arch of his wing. “Weren’t you bringing someone else?”<br/><br/>"Rodimus!" Sunstreaker said in a sharp tone which made something pleasant twist and heat in Sideswipe's belly. Eventually, he'd have to get over his kneejerk response to Sunstreaker's domination. "Get your aft out here."<br/><br/>"Is he scared?" Sideswipe asked, amused.<br/><br/>Starscream huffed a laugh. "Absolutely not. He's just trying to figure out how to make a grand entrance."<br/><br/>"I am not!" A voice floated out from the transport before a figure stepped into view, painted in shades of red and orange and garish flames, as shiny as both Starscream and Sunstreaker. "I didn't want to interrupt."<br/><br/>"Is that what you're calling it?" Starscream hummed his amusement as Rodimus descended from the transport.<br/><br/>Sideswipe had seen him before, flitting around the sales floor of Blue Sun, flirting with potential clients and laughing with a big smile. He was sexy, Sideswipe gave him that much. That flirty spoiler begged to be touched.<br/><br/>They'd never been formally introduced.<br/><br/>"Rodimus, was it?" Sideswipe asked as he stepped forward and offered a hand. "I'm Sideswipe. Welcome to your new home."<br/><br/>"You must be the charming half of the spark," Rodimus said with a little wink as he returned with a firm handshake. "Thanks for paying my debt, giving me a place to live, all of that." He leaned in close then, squeezing Sideswipe's fingers. "If Starscream doesn't put out, I will." He winked again.<br/><br/>"You little brat!" Starscream grabbed hold of the back of Rodimus' collar fairing and yanked him away from Sideswipe. "I can't take you anywhere."<br/><br/>Rodimus stumbled but laughed, his optics sparkling playfully. "You put a fine piece of aft in front of me and expect me not to flirt? Who do you think I am, Star?"<br/><br/>"Someone who should have more manners," Sunstreaker snapped before he sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face, peering at Sideswipe with one optic. "Are you sure you want this circus?"<br/><br/>"Life was getting a little boring anyway," Sideswipe said as he hooked his elbow through his twin's and started guiding Sunstreaker up the ramp, assuming the others would catch up.<br/><br/>Ironhide still watched them, standing at attention, a frown growing on his lips as his gaze lingered on Starscream and Rodimus, still squabbling.<br/><br/>"This is my head of house and security, Ironhide," Sideswipe said as he made introductions. "If you can't find me, find Ironhide. He'll help you with whatever you need."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker tipped his head in greeting. "Nice to meet you."<br/><br/>"Likewise," Ironhide grunted.<br/><br/>"He's full of charm," Sideswipe said, cheerfully. He leaned in toward Sunstreaker, whispering, "Don't be fooled. He's been looking after me all my life. It makes him a little overprotective."<br/><br/>Sunstreaker arched one orbital ridge. "You've had the duty of watching over Sideswipe? Must have been a Pit of a job."<br/><br/>Ironhide rattled out a laugh. "Aye. He's a handful. What about you?"<br/><br/>"I'm always perfectly behaved," Sunstreaker said, but he directed a sour look over his shoulder. "Unfortunately, I can't say the same for my partner and his pet."<br/><br/>"Pet?" Sideswipe echoed. "Is that really what he is?"<br/><br/>"It's what I call him," Sunstreaker said with a disdainful sniff. "He's always in our bed when I least expect it, he requires a lot of care and attention, and Starscream's so fond of him that he goes where we go."<br/><br/>It was Sideswipe's turn to lift his orbital ridges. "And you don't care at all?"<br/><br/>Sunstreaker's lips twitched, and Sideswipe knew a fib when he heard one, despite Sunstreaker's lofty tone. "Rodimus has his uses."<br/><br/>"Someone say my name?" Rodimus bounded up to them, hands tucked behind his back, lips spread in a broad grin, his spoiler bouncing jauntily.<br/><br/>"Should we get our bags?" Starscream asked as he stepped up on Sunstreaker's other side before eyeing Ironhide with no small degree of suspicion.<br/><br/>"That's what the staff is for," Ironhide rumbled. He lifted his chin. "I'm Ironhide. I run the estate for Master Sideswipe."<br/><br/>"Master?" Rodimus echoed and he blinked and gave Sideswipe a pleading look. "Do I have to call you that?"<br/><br/>"Yes," said Ironhide as Sideswipe snorted and said, "Of course not."<br/><br/>Sideswipe gave his guardian a stern look. "They're family, Ironhide. I think we can do away with formalities, like I've been trying to get you to do for years."<br/><br/>"It's not done, Master Sideswipe," Ironhide said, but there was a twinkle in his optics, the slightest curve of his mouth to suggest he was teasing.<br/><br/>"Real stickler for the rules, I take it?" Rodimus asked.<br/><br/>"I'll expect ya to obey them," Ironhide said.<br/><br/>Sideswipe laughed and shooed everyone inside with his one free hand. "Yeah, yeah. We can talk about rules and formalities later. Let's go inside!"<br/><br/>Ironhide opened the door, gesturing for them to precede him, and Rodimus darted ahead of everyone else, slipping inside with a level of excitement Sideswipe approved of. Starscream followed, clutching Sunstreaker's hand, giving him smitten looks when he thought no one would notice.<br/><br/>He was wrong.<br/><br/>Sideswipe noticed, and if he did, then so did Ironhide. There wasn't anything the old rustbucket missed.<br/><br/>He hung back to exchange a few words with his guardian as the ooh's and aah's of his three new companions floated back out to him.<br/><br/>"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ironhide asked.<br/><br/>Sideswipe tilted his head. "Didn't you say you were worried about me? You thought I was lonely?"<br/><br/>"This isn't really what I meant."<br/><br/>"Then maybe you should've been more specific." Sideswipe rapped his knuckles on Ironhide's chassis. "Sunstreaker's my twin. He's the other half of me. You'll love him soon enough."<br/><br/>"And the others?"<br/><br/>Sideswipe chuckled. "I'm sure they'll grow on you." He waggled his orbital ridges. "Rodimus is pretty, yeah? I know how much you like flames."<br/><br/>Ironhide rolled his optics and nudged Sideswipe inside. "Go on you. I'm not fragging yer new toy."<br/><br/>"Just saying, you can if you want to," Sideswipe teased as he danced inside, a wide grin on his lips. He spread his arms, gesturing broadly. "Things are gonna get pretty lively around here now, 'Hide. Just you wait and see."<br/><br/>Ironhide's gaze softened as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "I certainly hope so, Master Sideswipe."<br/><br/>It was going to be great.<br/><br/>Sideswipe had no doubt about that.<br/><br/></p>

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